Unrelated Note
by pengooin
Summary: There's this infuriating (but screwable) blonde kid in Axel's life. But, when his mom decides to move the kid into their house? Things are about to get way too romcom for his taste. Roxas/Axel, Sora/Riku, Marluxia/Luxord. AU. Yaoi/shonen-ai.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: Unrelated Note**

 **Rating: M**

 **Pairings: Roxas/Axel, Riku/Sora, Marluxia/Luxord**

 **Disclaimer: The obvious meaning behind "Take care of her" to me, was to murder her and dispose of the body in a clean, inconspicuous manner. While Square seems to agree with me, Disney would have some things to say about that.**

 **Author's notes:** **I know, I know; another high school AU yaoi. Yaoi/Shonen-ai/BL means boy x boy love, which means kissing and cuddling and occasional dry (or wet) humping. Don't like it, don't read any further. I just saved your life, you're welcome.**

 **If you are here and happen to like Roxas related romance (albeit, straight), check out my other Xion/Roxas fanfic "At Dusk".**

 **The rating M is mostly me hedging my bets. Things get a little sexy in this chapter, so the portion that is in bold represents cut content. For the full fanfiction chapter (with lemony freshness), I now have them all uploaded on my livejournal account. It's super easy to navigate. All you have to do is find me under the username khpengooin and click through a couple 18+ prompts for the chapter you want. The whole chapter is there, so you may either read here and switch over to the bold portion there, or read the entire chapter there. The only real difference is that there are no dividers between segments changing POV, time, etc. for this chapter on livejournal. Those changes should still be pretty clear in the writing, regardless.**

 **My inspiration came from a single picture I saw while surfing the web. It was one the most adorable moments captured through The Sims 2 I've ever seen. That picture of Roxas/Axel cuddling in bed spurred a whole idea I wanted to try. Bear with me, send me your thoughts, and as always, enjoy!**

* * *

Axel drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and shook his flaming hair wildly as he whipped his red Lincoln '93 around another street corner on his way to school. The engine roared its disapproval, but was lost on Axel and his companion Xigbar in the passenger seat, as they raged on to the sound of "Problem" by The Job pouring as loudly as was possible from the faulty speakers. Xigbar hit the speaker in the passenger door with his fist, bringing the shorted circuits back to life.

The two laughed and shouted in time with the song. Xigbar let his long grey hair down and patted his hand on the door from the open window. He was just rocking out to the guitar solo when he spotted something from the corner of his good eye.

"Axel! Stop!"

The redhead twisted his face towards the road and pumped the brakes with a loud screech. A curb in front of their school rocked the front of the car as they rolled over it. He had stopped just short of another student who'd been walking to school, which was already cursing their very existence.

"What the fuck is wrong with you! You could have killed me!"

Axel turned the engine off and it smoked slightly from beneath the hood. He was the first to emerge with a rickety slam of the door. He was surprised really, that the door itself hadn't fallen off the hinges completely..yet.

The young freshman who had been screaming obscenities moments earlier, fell silent as soon as they saw one another. He seemed to study Axel, with an odd mixture of fascination and utter disgust on his face.

Axel, on the other hand, was mildly amused and eyed the younger of the two almost hungrily. He was blonde, dressed clean, and had some kind of eyes. The pure blue-ness of them refracted the sun in such a brilliant way because of the direction he was facing.

 _I'd tap that._

But as soon as the moment had come, it was lost. Axel hardened and scowled at the other, who continued looking pissed but backed away out of fear.

"Piss off fresh, or I'll finish the job myself."

At this point, Xigbar had appeared next to him and looked equally ready to rape and/or kill their new encounter.

"Heeey, it's a blondie! Nice find, Axel!"

The kid now furrowed his confused brow further and stared them down as he walked away. He was so busy staring in fact, that he tripped over himself and stumbled. Axel and Xigbar roared with laughter as they watched him scurry on to class.

* * *

Nearly getting mauled over by a car had ruined Roxas's entire mood, which was rarely pleasant to begin with. Sora approached his friend with caution during science class. Roxas nodded his approval before Sora even spoke, as they always partnered up for their labs.

As he set up the burners and flasks, Sora decided to break the ice.

"So, what's got you so worked up today?"

Roxas scoffed.

"You know you can talk to me...If ya want.."

It was true, and Sora was the sweetest person he'd met since starting high school this year. He could literally tell him that he was into bestiality and Sora would never waver in their friendship. He was the kind of guy people relied on to keep secrets, vent to, and just generally lended an ear for anyone without judging. The only side-effect was that Sora rarely shared his own life details with anyone.

Which was why Roxas made sure to ask how things were going with him every so often. Sora mostly dismissed it, but nonetheless appreciated the thought.

It was obvious to Roxas that Sora was gay, though he'd never admitted to nor denied this fact. He liked how Sora didn't flaunt his orientation with that girly voice the gay guys used on TV. He was just a little girly, and naturally naive and fragile. Heck, if he were gay Roxas might've even had a thing for Sora. But of course he _wasn't_ and even if he were, there were so many standing in line (boy and girl) in front of him. Many vied for Sora's singular attention, which was fleeting at best.

 _And speaking of attention span..._

"Sora, don't pour that down the-"

The sink line connecting the lab stations flamed up as another station dropped a match in their drain at the exact moment Sora poured chemicals down theirs.

There was a collective gasp, but this time no one was hurt and nothing was damaged. Sora was the clumsiest boy Roxas had ever met.

After listening to a barrage of apologies from Sora to the world, Roxas made his way down the hall towards the cafeteria. Sora followed, huffing a little at having to catch up to Roxas.

"Heey! Wait up! You never told me about-"

"I almost got run over this morning by a red-headed _fuck_ and his sidekick in an ugly car! Happy?" Roxas spat.

He regretted his outburst when he saw Sora's facial reaction,

"I'm sorry... I'm just ..having a rough day. Alright?"

"Yeah...ok," Sora shrugged.

Never being one to catch social cues, Sora prattled on while Roxas listened halfheartedly.

"So then I told him, 'Riku, that's not an alpaca it's a llama!'"

Sora laughed heartily and clutched at his gut like it was the funniest thing in the world. Roxas smiled and shook his head. Sora's reactions were usually more amusing than the jokes themselves.

Roxas gaped, "Sora, did you _know_ that you can get an incurable full-body rash from just _touching_ a llama?"

His face fell to horror and he pinched at his skin.

"Wha-what?"

It was Roxas's turn to laugh now. Sora was incurably gullible, too.

"I'm only kidding, Sor. You sure do hang out with him a lot. Are you sure you don't...you know... _like_ Riku?"

He clapped Roxas on the back a little too hard, making him sputter and stumble a bit.

"God, no! Why would you even think that?" Sora laughed frantically.

"He's just a friend Roxas! Now you're just being silly!"

"Yeah, I guess," Roxas rolled his eyes.

 _You two aren't fooling anyone but yourselves._

* * *

"Yo, Riku!"

Riku squeezed in between Axel and Saix at their table. They always sat in the senior lounge, which was a small room off of the main cafeteria. It would have been more quiet in there, had it not been for their rowdy gang.

"Wassup, yeah?" Wakka grinned from the end of the table. He spun a soccerball effortlessly on the tip of his finger.

Riku shrugged and brushed a wisp of silver hair out of his face as he sat down.

Demyx strummed an imaginary instrument down at the other end of the table, completely oblivious to anything outside of his Dr. Dre headphones.

 _What a great group. I can see these guys graduating at the top of our class,_ Riku thought with an eye roll.

"So! This blonde kid we met this morning, totally fuckable by the way, has the _nerve_ to stand in the way of me n' Abe this morning! And he starts cussing _us_ out!"

Axel started to prop his combat boots on the table again, which Riku shoved off with a glare.

Xigbar snorted.

"Was it, 'Rocks Ass' something?" Xigbar remembered seeing the kid once or twice before.

"Roxas? You mean that freshman kid with the toilet bowl hair?" Marluxia chimed in.

"Y-yeah! That's the one!"

"Gross!" Larxene wrinkled her nose.

"He's one of Sora's friends," Riku picked up a french fry, eyeing it with suspicion before taking a hesitant bite. "What about him?"

"He nearly hurt my sweet Abe!" Axel waved his arms over dramatically.

Riku made a face. Wrong decision with the french fries today.

"Well, I'm sure that 'Abe' nearly killing the kid didn't exactly make him want to be friends with that piece of shit."

Axel took on a feigned look of offensive horror, "It was self defense! He didn't mean that baby!" Axel yelled towards the window as if his car would hear him.

Riku sighed and turned his attention to Marluxia, "What's new Marx?"

The rose haired boy shook his head and looked down, obviously deep in thought.

"Nothing, nothing," he plastered a fake smile on his face. "Same old stuff."

"He's too busy thinkin 'bout that hot new math teacher, yeah?" Wakka said.

Marluxia blushed and looked away quickly. He stood up and left the table without another word.

"Was it something I said?"

Xigbar shook his head, "Kid's got some kinda skeletons in his closet; and a few math teachers, too." he added with a grin.

Riku grimaced. Marluxia had never been the talkative type, but it seemed like there were things really bothering him. It was odd how he'd worn long sleeves all through the summer, too. He was sure the rumors circulating about an intimate relationship with Mr. Spaid didn't help.

 _Poor kid._

Axel ripped his musings away with a new outburst, "My mom's bringing her boyfriend over tonight. Wants me to meet his kid."

Riku smiled at some nicer news for once.

"They've been datin' a while now, yeah?" Wakka asked.

Axel nodded, "Said they've got some news for me."

"Gettin' hitched?" Xigbar laughed.

"Ew, I hope not. It's only been a few months now. I mean, it's a long time on mom's terms but not long enough to be pullin' that shit yet," Axel shook his head.

"Hmph! Bet that's it! Better start calling him 'daddy' now!" Larxene laughed and winked.

"Shut the fuck up!"

"Make me!"

Axel leaped over the table and tackled Larxene to the ground. They wrestled until Axel decided it better to shut her up with his mouth. He started shoving his hands in her bra when Riku decided to leave.

* * *

"Eeew!" Sora made an adorable face of disgust when Riku told him how he'd left his friends.

"Why do you even _like_ them Riku? They're so, sooo... _deviant!"_

Riku smirked.

 _I dunno, I wouldn't mind so much if it were me and you._

He shrugged and decided to change the subject before his thoughts got dirtier, "Roxas, did you have a run in with my friend Axel today?"

The blonde looked up quizzingly from his burger, "That red-headed _fuck?_ Yeah, I sure did."

 _Whoa, remind me not to piss you off._

Riku raised an eyebrow, but continued, "It's none of my business, but don't fuck with that group. Axel's bad news. He can fuck up your shit."

When Roxas rolled his eyes, Riku added darkly, "I mean it."

Roxas snorted, "Whatever."

Riku was ready to lay into the kid, but the bell rang and an adorable distraction tugged at his arm.

"C'mon Rik, let's not be late today."

Riku smiled warmly at his doe-eyed friend and walked him to class, as he did every day after lunch.

* * *

 _The locker room is perfect._

Marluxia sat down alone on one of the benches that lined the boys locker room. The only signs of light streamed in through high windows, giving it a washed glow like moonlight.

He heard the door open and close again then stood up, immediately on his guard.

The man who appeared was tall and thin with a small silver piercing in his left ear. Marluxia ran to him and bit it playfully.

"Were you waiting long?" the older man asked in hushed tones.

"Yes. Now, come down here and make it up to me," Marluxia pulled him towards one of the benches and straddled it.

The man unbuttoned his white shirt and pushed Marluxia down with a fierce kiss. Marluxia opened his mouth, eagerly accepting his tongue. Between feverish kisses he gasped for breath and pulled the man's belt off.

"How much time do we have?"

"Long enough," he pushed Marluxia's shirt up and grasped a freed nipple between his teeth. Marluxia groaned.

"No gym this period."

"Thank God."

Wasting no time, he unbuttoned Marluxia's jeans and pulled them along with his underwear low enough to expose-

* * *

 **A STORK THAT BRINGS BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN TO WORTHY PARENTS.**

 **Seriously:**

 **Just go visit livejournal.**

* * *

He got dressed quickly. He considered looking back at the shuddering form behind him, considered stroking his hair instead of his **(STORK)** , or even asking why he'd cried when they were together,

but he didn't.

Luxord left the room after cleaning up without another word.

* * *

All the way home that evening Axel's mind raced. He thought about lots of things, but the infuriating blonde, the one he'd learned was called "Roxas, kept cropping up for some reason.

It was entirely uncalled for.

He took another sharp corner, pulling into the drive with an abrupt stop. His mother's car was already there.

Axel pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He didn't smoke too often, but knew his mother hated it and used this fact to his advantage.

As he reached for the knob the door flung open and she hugged him tight.

"You're late, and put that thing out," she hissed in his ear and grinned again as she pulled away.

"Come in sweetheart! Dinner's ready!" she called.

Axel sighed and rolled his eyes. He only wished his mom would be herself around a man. Her fake ass smiles made him want to vomit even more than the douchebags she brought home.

He flung his cigarette towards the wet grass in hopes that it would catch fire and save him from all this.

Of course, it didn't.

The smells of her famous beef burgundy hit him in the face and he was drawn into the kitchen. She never made it unless she was serious, and if she were...

He nearly choked on his spit the moment he entered the kitchen.

The man at the head of the table was tall and muscular, with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He was handsome sure, but what drew his attention was the young blonde _thing_ sitting by his side.

Their eyes met and narrowed considerably.

" _Roxas"_ Axel spat.

Roxas gritted his teeth but remained cool, "Axel."

"Oh, boys! I see you've already met! This is Cole and his son Roxas. Cole, this is my son Axel."

Cole smiled and held out his hand, "Pleasure to meet you."

Axel refused to shake his hand and instead sat at the far end of the table.

Kellie laughed nervously as she placed the meal in front of them, "He's a little shy."

Cole nodded, but grimaced.

Roxas glared daggers across the table, which deflected from Axel as he refused to even look at the kid.

"Boys, I know this is sudden but we have something wonderful to tell you."

She sat down next to Cole and held his hand.

"Next month, Kellie and I will be getting married," Cole finished.

"Cole and Roxas will be moving in next week. Isn't that fun?" She smiled brightly as Cole kissed her cheek.

It was in that same moment that both boys' chairs flew away from them as they stood up simultaneously.

"Dad, you just met her! It's too soon!"

"Mom! What the fucking fuck! _Fuck!"_

 _I have to live with this self-entitled Mary Jane lil shit? No. fucking. way._

Axel stormed upstairs to his room, pushing a vase off its pedestal on his way up. He could hear the vase crash and shouting from below him.

 _Another great dinner ruined by another douchebag and his tagalong brat._

* * *

 **And thus, the plot of my grand idea is revealed! I have a good feeling about this one. If you looked up the song from the beginning and recognized it, you either just know the song or you watch the Canadian show Degrassi. Yes, I am an active fan of Eclare and yes, I totally did imbue that scene with some Eclare greatness of the glasses breaking scene. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, go watch Degrassi Season 10. Consequences will never be the same. You're welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: Unrelated Note**

 **Rating: M**

 **Pairings: Roxas/Axel, Riku/Sora, Marluxia/Luxord**

 **Disclaimer: E3 is sucking hardcore and there's still no release date. But guess what? Not my fault.**

 **The rating M is mostly me hedging my bets.**

Roxas: Playing with Fire by Chelsea Grin

* * *

Riku's Monday started out as all his school mornings did:

"REEEEEEEEEIIIIIKUUUUU!"

"Riku, Riku, RIKUU!"

Sora grinned and waved at his friend before tripping and tumbling down a small hill in front of their school. Riku could hear the rustling of his school bag's contents flipping around as Sora crashed down the hill.

Just as he was about to face plant, Riku swiftly moved over to catch Sora in his arms.

Careful to avoid his face, Riku pulled his friend back up on his feet.

"You should really be more careful, Sor."

Sora blushed and looked down, shuffling his feet and reminding Riku of a small child.

 _Would that make me a pedophile?_

"Sorryyy," Sora peered up at him and beamed.

 _Yeah, probably...God, that fucking smile of his._

Riku couldn't help but chuckle and dust his friend off, "It's alright, but do you really have to call me out like that? It's embarrassing." He feigned a cringe. Inwardly, nothing made him happier.

"Hehe, yup! I want the whole world to know I'm friends with the _coolest_ kid in school!" Sora's eyes sparkled like fresh dew on the school lawn.

Riku groaned and rolled his eyes, smiling.

Their moment was short lived, as a commotion had started nearby. Riku grabbed Sora's hand and weaved through the growing crowd to see what the fuss was about. They happened to catch the tail end of an argument.

"It's not like _I_ fuckin' wanted this! You think _I_ want to live with a stuck up kid and his shitty father?"

"FUCK YOU!" Roxas screeched. " _My_ father didn't force _your_ whore mom to open up her thighs and bless me with you!"

Oh, he'd done it now. Axel bum rushed him into the brick wall and lifted him up by the collar. His eyes flared with rage.

"Don't. _Ever._ Talk about her that way again."

 _Only I'm allowed to do that._

Something primal flared up between the two. Axel wanted to kill him, or hate fuck him. Or both. He could feel his palms starting to sweat.

The look in his eyes genuinely scared Roxas. Behind the icy glare Axel sensed this and put him down slowly.

"You're not even fucking worth it."

As Axel started to walk away, Roxas felt the need to provoke him further.

"Don't touch my shit!"

Axel laughed, "and why would I want to?"

Axel's group surrounded him and they disappeared into the school.

Back in the dispersing crowd, Sora clutched onto Riku's jacket and whimpered softly.

Riku grimaced and stared at the shaken Roxas, who'd remained immobile since the encounter. As small as Roxas was, Riku had to admit he looked downright scary.

"What was that all about..."

But before he could draw a conclusion in his mind, a hapless Sora was wandering ahead of him towards the icy statue.

 _Your reckless compassion is going to get us both killed._

Riku sighed and followed suit.

* * *

"You shoulda pummeled that kid, yeah? He got some nerve talkin' to you like that."

"What the hell man? You just going to let him get away with that shit?"

Axel didn't say a word. Something about what Roxas said was really getting to him. On any other day, he wouldn't let a freshman leave without at least three broken bones.

"Whatever. He's not worth my time."

"Got that right," Xigbar snorted. "But, I'd love to see you make that lil bitch cry."

Axel gritted his teeth, "Oh, I will."

 _But how?_ He wondered.

He figured he'd have plenty of time for that, living with the little prick and all...

It would give him time to figure out just what made Roxas tick and then really hit him where it hurts. But, for now, he'd just have to settle for annoying the living shit out of him at school.

Axel grinned.

 _Who the fuck knows? This might even be a fun new hobby._

* * *

Marluxia crept away from his group without much notice, as he often did while they socialized before class. Being the more silent member had its perks. None of them so much as batted an eye when he slipped away and missed the entire argument.

There were more important things on his mind at the moment-like getting his next fix. It'd been eight hours since he'd had sex. Just enough time to sleep, but also putting him on edge.

He'd just barely managed to escape the house before it could happen again.

His eyes glazed over and he squeezed them shut before he shut down completely. This wasn't like that. This was different.

But now he was addicted to sex. It was an all consuming drug and he barely cared where he got it. But there was one person he wanted it from more than anyone else.

 _Luxord loves me. Luxord cares about me. I can see it in his eyes. They're not like hers._

He white knuckled his backpack strap as he sped into the school, past all of the naive children, to the speed of his heartbeat.

He nearly burst into tears as he entered the empty classroom. Luxord had been waiting there patiently, sitting with his legs crossed atop his desk. When he saw Marluxia, he grimaced and stepped down, loping gracefully towards him.

When Marluxia was sure the door was closed and locked, he lept into the teacher's arms, kissing him firmly on the lips.

Luxord kissed back, sliding his hand up the back of Marluxia's shirt and rubbing his back gently.

"I wasn't sure you were coming today." A look of concern crossed the older man's face and he hid it in Marluxia's long hair. He couldn't quite place the smell, but he loved whatever hair product the younger boy had been using. It held a sense of familiarity with him.

Marluxia wound his arms around Luxord's waist and hummed softly, "You knew I'd come. I always do."

He paused, then added without thinking, "I've missed you."

Luxord froze and backed off, "You what?"

The younger boy's eyes widened and glistened with apology, "I said I missed _it._ I missed _the sex."_

"Oh," Luxord reframed his features.

"Well now, we'll see about that," He pushed Marluxia into his desk, where they'd done it countless times before.

Marluxia had already started gasping, turned on from the forcefulness of his superior.

Luxord pressed further until Marluxia was lying flat on the long desk, a hand pinning him there on either side of his head. As if he would try to escape.

He blushed and looked away, squirming in anticipation.

"A good student is never late. Don't make me wait like that again," Luxord latched onto his neck and pulled hard.

Marluxia moaned, "I'm sorry! I won't do it again. Just...please..."

"Oh, you're so hot when you beg. You really want it that bad?"

"Mr. Spaid..."

 _"Luxord,"_ he corrected him.

"Mmmh, Luxord."

Marluxia beamed. He was afraid that calling him by first name was a one-time thing. This made him feel special.

 _I can use it all the time now?_

"Much better," Luxord found himself smiling too, happy to make the younger boy happy, in more ways than one.

He grasped Marluxia through his pants, making the student bite his lip and quiver.

"You're already really hard. It would be difficult to play like this. You won't last.."

"I-I'm sorry, I just-"

"Shhh," Luxord kissed him, softly this time, lifting his shirt and trailing kisses down his abdomen.

 **(SEX SEX SEX. Livejournal for MarLux SECKS.)**

They would have sex two more times, finishing only just before the bell rang for students to enter the building.

* * *

Roxas hated not knowing what to say at a crucial moment. This had been one of those moments, and he'd once again fucked it up and made himself look like an idiot.

And that pissed him off even more.

Axel was an incurably arrogant bastard. Those kinds of people made his skin crawl in the worst way possible. They disgusted him.

"No fucking respect," he grumbled to himself.

 _But I was pretty harsh on him this morning._

Roxas sighed.

He would be better off just sticking to his guns about not talking to people in general.

"Roxas?"

But, the one exception to that rule interrupted his perfect plan.

"What!" He snapped.

Sora blinked and his lower lip trembled a bit. He looked like a struck puppy.

Even worse, Riku showed up behind him looking like some overprotective bouncer.

Roxas sighed, "Sorry.."

Sora took a deep breath and chose his words carefully, "A-are you okay? I mean, we saw what happened and all and-"

"What about it?" His impatience was showing clearly.

 _Stop beating around the bush and get on with it._

Riku coughed loudly, making Roxas roll his eyes.

"You can come over after school and talk about it- if you want.."

"Sure, whatever."

Sora beamed. Roxas couldn't help but feel his gloom lift just a little after seeing his friend smiling.

His cheeks got warm and he shoved his hands in his pockets, sulking away from the 'friends' towards math class.

His smile fell and he wrinkled his nose as soon as he entered the room. It reeked of sex.

 _Gross. What the hell was Mr. Spaid doing in here? Or who?_

He decided to take a seat next to the neurotic looking kid with pink hair. He liked to sit away from other kids, but the full room made that option impossible.

Thankfully, he wasn't the talkative type either.

* * *

The rest of Roxas's week went by without much further disruption, surprisingly.

Friday seemed like it would be another average day. It would also be his last average day, given that he'd be moving in with Axel and Kellie that weekend.

At lunch, Riku sat with Sora and Roxas in the main cafeteria for once. Sora and Riku didn't talk very much. When they did carry on a conversation, it was mostly with each other, leaving Roxas alone to brood over his future "in-law" across the room. Axel had also decided to sit outside the senior lounge that day. For very different reasons.

He was far too busy making a scene to be bothered by Roxas, his hands busy down in Tidus' pants for all the world to see.

It was loud too. Roxas could hear Tidus moaning over the usual clanking plates and enthused student chatter. The sophomore rocked back and forth to the motion of the senior's hand. Axel grabbed his sandwich and took a bite, multitasking as Roxas turned his attention back to his friends.

He blushed a deep red. He'd asked Tidus a question in AP History class once. Seemed like a nice kid. Definitely not the erotic type he saw today. What he just saw looked like an entirely different person. It was very...

 _indecent._

He nodded, as if to convince himself of an absolute truth.

Riku, thoroughly amused by his change in behavior, smirked silently from across the table.

"What?" Roxas snapped.

"Nothing. You just looked pretty distracted, that's all."

"I'm fine!"

 _Damn you Riku, and your perceptive observations._

Roxas gasped to himself and clapped a hand over his mouth.

Something was happening to him under the table and Riku had to bite his lip to keep from laughing hysterically.

 _No! Body, I did not give you permission to do that! FUCK YOU!_

"Oh, go fuck yourself Riku," Roxas got up with careful placement of his empty tray and scurried from the lunch room.

"Gladly," Riku grinned.

Sora, perplexed, looked between the two boys curiously and knitted his brow in concern.

"Did I miss something?"

"No Sor, eat your lunch. He'll be fine."

"Okay!" The oblivious freshman happily obliged.

* * *

 _Most_ of his day had gone fine. Decent. Quiet. He'd get over the whole public molestation thing that was burned into his mind, eventually.

But then shop class happened and all hopes of a normal, quiet day flew from Roxas's mind like a freed bird.

All he was left with was hopelessness as he stared at the obstacle that lay before him.

Sitting in the back of the room was a mane of wild red hair hidden behind a pair of worn combat boots which rested rudely atop the desk.

 _It_ waved cutely at him from across the room. Roxas almost gagged, then paled when he realized that once again the room was full and that the only seat left was right in front of Axel.

He decided to pretend Axel didn't exist.

Unfortunately, that didn't last very long at all. Shortly after he sat down and class began he could hear furious scribbling from behind him.

Even the sound of his writing annoyed Roxas. He raised an eyebrow as he opened the tiny football that landed beside him.

 _Your dad asked to give me a BJ last night._

Roxas wrinkled his nose in disgust and ripped it up only to find a replacement note in its place.

 _He said I was the biggest he'd ever had. Did he ask you for one too?_

This time Roxas scribbled back furiously,

 _Go fuck yourself._

A response arrived a few moments later, leading into a paper war.

 _I have freshmen do that for me._

 _Yeah, I saw. You're a 'porn star'. Way to go, real classy._

 _Oh, you were watching? Did it make your virgin hole scream with desire?_

Roxas felt his cheeks getting warm.

 _In your dreams, you fucking pedophile fag._

The next three notes Roxas ripped up without reading. At the fourth note, he glared behind him and opened it with an aggravated sigh.

 _I prefer blondes, just so you know ;-)_

Roxas groaned and dropped his head on the desk with a thud. It was going to be a very, very, long year.

* * *

 **You might find yourself asking, "Where the heck was Axel for the rest of the week if he wasn't in shop class?" Well, the answer is very simple. He skips. Often. Especially the last couple classes at the end of the day. He likes to smoke outside and finger the occasional lucky bystander.**

 **I used to make notes to try and clear up any contradictions in my writing, but it was tiresome and I wasn't having fun with that part so I'm back to winging it. If you see anything 'off', feel free to let me know but I'm not going to do a whole lot of editing anymore. I also started this a while ago. Obviously E3 is over and obviously there is now a release year for KH3. It's so exciting!**

 **Hope you enjoyed :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: Unrelated Note**

 **Rating: M**

 **Pairings: Roxas/Axel, Riku/Sora, Marluxia/Luxord**

 **Disclaimer: Never fear, KH3 is...still not here. I have nothing to do with that.**

 **Author's notes:** **Toy Story is in KH3. Rejoice, folks. I have so many beautiful plans for this story's direction now. It's great. I keep thinking about it, even while working! So cute, so romantic. Anywho, I dropped a hint in this chapter. I guess you could call it a tiny foreshadowing detail. I give serious props to anyone who can guess correctly before it's written ;)**

 **I had to really buff this one out because I don't want things to be too abrupt and that's hard _not_ to do concerning Marluxia.**

 **The rating M is mostly me hedging my bets. The portion that is in bold represents cut content. For the full fanfiction chapter, I now have them all uploaded on my livejournal account. It's super easy to navigate. All you have to do is find me under the username khpengooin and click through a couple 18+ prompts for the chapter you want. The whole chapter is there, so you may either read here and switch over to the bold portion there, or read the entire chapter there. The only real difference is that there are no dividers between segments changing POV, time, etc. for this chapter on livejournal. Those changes should still be pretty clear in the writing, regardless.**

 **PLEASE READ BEFORE CONTINUING:**

 **This chapter and others that will follow have graphic content not only in sexual nature, but depicting sexual abuse. If this in any way offends or upsets you, I beg you not to continue this fanfiction. He is not the focus of the story, but has a very troubling background that I have to explain before I can develop MarLux further. The very first section dives right into it. I've cut some very offensive/explicit content, and then cut further to suit the site's guidelines as I always do. If you would like those tiny bits from my second cut, please refer to my livejournal account.**

 **Marluxia: Daddy by Korn**

* * *

Marluxia could hear a beeping coming from somewhere. He counted the number of beeps to mark the passage of time as he started to come to.

That was when he started to realize that it was keeping time with his heart,

because it was attached to his heart.

Or at least, the burnt ash of the one that he had left.

He almost didn't want to open his eyes. He could lie there in the blackness forever and feel very much at home. Peaceful, even.

He'd take death by a wood chipper gladly if it meant escape from the life he'd been given.

But, she would never let him go. It made him happier some days to think of it that way. Not killing him must have been some form of love in her eyes.

His mother, Tifa, was horribly distorted. He didn't blame her, though. Her past had been a bad one. She had been raped and beaten throughout her childhood, and emerged only to be thrown back into the same pattern with Marluxia's father. She took drugs, prostituted herself for money, and drank herself into oblivion.

Worst of all, she reflected her own suffering onto her only son. Perhaps it was her form of revenge towards a rotten life, or simply because Marluxia looked like his father. He wasn't quite sure of the reason. But, he could barely remember the last time Tifa treated him as most mothers treat their children.

Marluxia tried very hard not to ever think of her in a sexual way, but she made it so difficult for him. She really was a beautiful woman, if you could look past all of the scars from beatings and needles. He could even remember a time when she would clean up nice and wear make-up (not the caked on slutty shit she wore now).

 _"Hey Kid! You got an A again? I can't believe I'm raising a genius. Surely, you didn't get your smarts from either of us. Where have you been stuffing all that knowlege, huh?"_

 _She smiled and hugged Marluxia close, laughing. He could smell a light trace of perfume._

Her laughter reverberated in his dark skull just behind his eyes, taunting him from better days.

But then his father stopped being nice to her, and things spiraled downhill from there.

Finally Ardyn left them and Marluxia hoped things would get better,

but Marluxia was only fifteen when he lost his virginity to his own mother.

 _"Mom, please! Stop!"_

 _"You're so bad, Ardyn! I love it when you play hard to get."_

 _"Mom! I'm not Ardyn, I'm Marluxia, your_ _ **son!**_ _"_

 **(the missing portion that would go here is on livejournal)**

 _He lay there for what seemed like an eternity, sobbing and naked, curled up in a ball of self-loathing. Tifa left the house not long afterwards._

 _He never stopped her; he let her do it. Worst of all, it felt good to his body._

Tifa continued to force sex on Marluxia until he got to the point where he was now. He no longer cried or told her to stop. He only let it happen and waited for it to be over. He was numb to it. He let his body enjoy it. After all, he preferred it to the beatings and screaming she often rained on him.

The only time he felt much of anything was when he was with Luxord.

 _Luxord._

 _Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep beep beep. Beep._

* * *

Across town, Roxas and Cole were moving in and per his mother's insistence, Axel was forced into helping the little shit move his shit.

He might as well have been having sex with Miley Cyrus.

That mess would be a lot more fun than this would ever be.

Axel hoped his real friends weren't around to see him fraternizing with the enemy. He'd be laughed at for sure. They'd think he'd gone too soft.

He made sure to take 'extra care' when it came to Roxas's things.

"Son of a-Axel, get the fuck over here!"

He groaned and unwillingly strolled over to help Roxas move his dresser from the truck. Just as they cleared the ramp, a jogger happened to run by, not even perturbed by the large scene in front of the house.

So she wouldn't notice at all when Axel stared at her huge, bouncy titties.

"Uh..Ax-FUCK! YOU FUCKING JACKASS!"

He took one last look before turning back to the young blonde, who was now cradling his foot, which the dresser fell on when Axel dropped his end.

He shrugged and smiled sheepishly, feigning innocence.

 _"Sorry!"_

Roxas rolled his eyes, "You will be when I start throwing _your_ shit out the window!"

"Oh, don't be such a pussy baby. Your foot's not broken."

"It could've been, you shithead!"

"Should I care?"

Roxas sighed and stormed into the house, giving up on the dresser altogether. It wasn't as though they'd be continuing like this anyway.

Axel sat on the curb and lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag while he watched nothing in particular. The two parents had taken up the abandoned dresser behind him.

"Axel, why don't you take Roxas with you and pick up some pizza?"

He didn't even turn to look at his mother, "Nope."

"I'll give you money for cigarettes."

He paused. Usually she would never support that, but apparently she'd gotten desperate to get their sons to hug and sing campfire songs, or some shit.

Axel glanced at his empty pack. _Shit_. He needed more anyway, so he could take advantage of her offer instead of trying to scrape up the cash for it.

"Fine," he pulled his keys out of his pocket and held out his hand for the money.

Kellie and Cole put down the dresser and she pulled out her wallet. To his surprise, she swiped the keys from his other hand.

"Mom! What the fuck!"

"You're walking Axel, it's just down the street. The gas station's right next to Jiminy's Pizza. It'll save you money on gas anyway."

"Can I go alone?"

"No."

"Are you gonna call the pizza in?"

"No. Get a cheese and a pepperoni."

"But then I'll have to wait an extra fifteen minutes!"

"That's the point," Kellie grinned cheekily.

"And what happens if I come back alone?"

"I hide your 'stash' and send you away to military school."

Axel cringed. She must've found his small stash of weed he thought he had hidden safely away in his guitar case. She drove a hard bargain. He could run away from school, but weed was really fucking expensive.

"Nevermind, deal's off, you can keep your damn money."

"Too late, now go get Roxas. The sooner you leave, the sooner we can eat."

And she was right. She had his keys now and he couldn't go anywhere without Abe.

 _Curse that she devil of a woman._

Before he could argue further she'd already picked up the dresser again and headed for the house. Axel stormed past them and up the stairs to "Roxas's" room.

He paused in the doorway.

Roxas was oblivious to his presence. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and started going through a box of clothes, presumably looking for another shirt to wear.

 _You weren't even that dirty, why are you changing right now?_

But Roxas had sensed him and wheeled around with a short squeak. It was a noise of surprise that seemed to get caught up in his throat.

"What-"

For a moment Axel had completely forgotten why he came upstairs in the first place. All his mind could comprehend was a half naked Roxas standing in a nearly empty room with a curtain-less window shedding the most gorgeous evening light on the whole scene.

Axel felt something shift in him in that moment. It felt really tingly. Not quite the same as getting a boner, though he felt that might start stirring too if he didn't either put his dick in the kid or make him wear a shirt immediately.

Roxas had the most delicate frame he'd ever seen. His shoulders were small and he had no biceps to speak of, yet there was a little tone there. More than the average girl, at least. He wasn't pudgy at all, but he had little to no muscle definition. He had defined hip bones, as if to entice an unsuspecting Axel to come over and rip his pants off to see where they led. Most of all, his skin looked like untouched, porcelain velvet. He could only imagine just how soft Roxas was.

And all of these things would normally make Axel want to maul him until all Roxas could remember was how to scream Axel's name. It would have been the perfect revenge. But, he didn't want to do that. All he wanted to do was hope and pray that something that delicate and beautiful would give a devil like him the time of day.

Axel never planned to tell Roxas these things, but his face completely betrayed him in the way he stared.

He had to hold on to the door frame to regain balance.

Before he could do anything, Roxas was frantically blushing and throwing on a black tank top.

"What do you want?" He snapped, trying to regain his hostility. Axel could tell he was confused, too.

"C'mon," Axel grabbed Roxas by the wrist and led him out of the house. The boy struggled, trying to break free until finally he clawed himself from Axel's death grip with a sharp cry, "That hurts! Stop!"

For once, Axel obeyed the command and turned to look at him.

"Where are you dragging me off to?"

He blinked and realized he never even told Roxas where they were going.

"Mom is making me take you with me to pick up the pizzas."

"Great," Roxas sighed, obviously as disgusted as Axel originally felt.

* * *

Sora could hardly wait for Riku to come pick him up. He loved going to the movies, but he especially loved being with his best friend.

He found himself in front of the mirror debating between his black skinny jeans or his baggy cargo shorts. The shorts were comfy, but he felt a draw to the pants.

"Movie theaters are pretty cold," he reasoned.

Skinny jeans it is.

He came back to the mirror after he was dressed and combed a hand through his unruly locks.

He felt pretty good about his choices, but for some reason he was nervous.

 _Maybe these jeans were too tight..._

But the doorbell kept him from changing again and Sora went bounding down the stairs, nearly pushing his mom out of the way.

"Be careful Sora! And remember your curfew!"

"Ok, mom! Love you!"

Sora sped out the door and nearly knocked Riku over as he closed the door.

"Whoa! Hi, there.."

Sora smiled, "Sorry about that. If I didn't get out quick, she'd never let me leave."

Sora was terrible at lying, but luckily for him Riku didn't notice this time.

"It's...fine. You uh, ready?" Riku looked him up and down with the strangest face.

"Yeah..What? Do I look weird?" Sora gasped. He knew the whole jean thing was a little strange.

"Not at all! It's just, not you," Riku smirked.

"Hmph. Then maybe it's time for a change of pace," Sora grinned.

Riku chuckled, "Well, don't run off without me."

He draped an arm around Sora's shoulders and led them to the car.

* * *

The walk to Jiminy's was abnormally quiet. Roxas was starting to get suspicious. Axel was acting...odd. He imagined he'd either be beat up or raped or both before they'd walked a whole block.

But, he was just walking quietly beside him with his hands in his pockets. He was focused on something else, apparently.

"What's your angle?" Roxas wondered aloud.

"What?" Axel looked over at him for the first time.

"Your angle. You're too quiet. Aren't you going to, I dunno, bitch at me?"

"Should I?"

 _Okay, that was weird._

"Uh...Yeah?"

Axel shrugged and occupied himself in kicking a rock ahead of them.

"Alright, I'll bite. What's with you?"

"What?"

"You're acting really weird."

Axel turned and stood in front of him, making him stop. Roxas furrowed his brow and looked up at him.

A moment's silence passed and Axel grabbed him by the shoulders. Roxas felt very uncomfortable.

 _Why is he looking at me like that?_

"What?"

"...Nothing." Axel let him go slowly and walked ahead of him now. He looked frustrated about something.

 _Fuckin' weirdo._

They reached Jiminy's, finally. Axel held the door open for him silently and Roxas walked in, slowly, to be sure he wasn't going to drop the door on his face. He thought whole silent thing was some kind of strange trick. His friends had to be hiding somewhere, or he was going to attack him when they got outside and eat all of the pizza, or something like that.

Roxas took a seat at the small booth in front of the window and waited while Axel placed the order. He watched him pull out a worn looking black leather wallet attached to a belt chain. He noticed Axel had long, slender fingers with black nails, as he pulled the cash out of his wallet and offered it to the cashier.

Axel charmed the hostess behind the counter, who giggled and leaned over so her chest was front and center. After some dialogue with a captivating grin, Axel eventually put the money back in his wallet and made his way over to Roxas.

Roxas felt somewhat disgusted from watching the exchange.

"How did you do that?"

Axel sighed and leaned back in the booth seat, letting his long legs spread out ahead of them. He stared up at the ceiling.

"Sex can get you anything," he chuckled.

"Gross."

"Someone sounds jealous," Axel grinned.

"Grosser." Roxas wrinkled his nose.

"But seriously, how did you not have to pay?"

"You really want to know?"

"Uh...yeah?"

Suddenly Roxas regretted asking in the first place.

Axel leaned over until they were nose to nose; Roxas scooting away into the corner didn't help. If anything, it only put them closer together. Their mouths were open and inches away from meeting. Roxas could feel, and _taste_ Axel's breath. It smelled like cigarettes, which was actually a little more comforting than the nastiness he expected. Roxas shot him a glare that could cut through ice.

Axel put one hand on top of the booth seat and the other curled around the small of Roxas's back.

Pulling him even closer, which before seemed impossible, Axel brushed past his mouth and gently bit his ear. Roxas felt himself gasp and shiver.

"Axel, what-?"

And before he could blink or hide his mortified blush, Axel was back in his own seat, leaning back with his eyes closed and facing the ceiling again.

"The art of distraction," he smirked.

Roxas looked up to find that the hostess was gaping at them. She had watched the whole thing.

"The fuck you staring at?" Roxas spat.

She frowned and looked hurt, but turned and left the room to find work to do.

Axel laughed, "You sure you don't want me to call her back here so you can insult her family, too?"

Roxas sighed and rubbed his temples. Now he felt bad again.

"Relax kid, I was just joking."

Roxas's eyes narrowed, " _Forgive_ me if I don't want the horny waitress watching me get molested."

"Molested?" Axel laughed, "You really think I molested you?"

Roxas said nothing and glared out the window with his arms crossed. His thoughts wandered back to seeing Axel with Tidus.

"Did you even get the birds and the bees from your dad? I mean, with my mom around you had to have _seen_ them at some point."

"Gross! Shut up!"

Axel laughed harder, "You look like a little hot pocket."

"I look like a-What are you talking about?"

"You're really red."

Being told he looked red made Roxas blush even more.

He groaned, "Would you stop already?"

"Alright fine. I'll stop... _If_ you tell me how far you've gone."

"Fuck that!"

"Aw, c'mon. There's no shame in sharing some carnal experience with your new 'bro'. I could use some tips."

"You're fucking sick," Roxas rolled his eyes but couldn't help smiling, just a little.

"I kinda figured you were a virgin," Axel pinched his cheek. Roxas slapped his hand away.

"Who said I was?"

"Well, you blush at everything sexual, you won't talk about it, and you're easily excitable. Though, I don't blame you at all; I _am_ devilishly handsome _."_

Roxas snorted.

"What?"

"You're full of shit."

Axel grinned.

Before he could think up a witty comeback, Axel heard "Heroes" by David Bowie playing in the background.

He listened thoughtfully and started head bobbing, "Didn't know they still played this stuff."

Roxas sighed, "Have you never been here? They play this one every five minutes. Drives me nuts."

"You don't like Bowie?"

Roxas shook his head, "I didn't say that. Bowie was amazing."

"Good. I was worried for a second there. Thought your prudiness was beyond saving."

"'Prudiness?'"

"The utter lack of any sexual deviance or personality."

"Not everyone opens their legs to anyone they meet."

Axel winked, "Everyone who meets me does."

Roxas let out an aggravated sigh and gave up his attempts at intelligent conversation with Axel, preferring to stare out the window.

It was so annoying how Axel was partially blocking his view of the outdoors. Roxas didn't much feel like looking at the bastard. He could also feel his stare burning into him with intensity, but Roxas avoided it like it was a disease. Axel's sudden interest in him was unsettling. He felt like his eyes were constantly raping him.

 _I can't believe he did that. I CAN'T BELIEVE HE DID THAT. Why in the hell would you bite me? Do I look like a piece of meat? No. Of course not. The guy's a straight up animal._

 _He belongs in a zoo._

Thinking about it again raised goosebumps on his arms. He felt like slapping himself for allowing his body to react in such a way.

The more Roxas cursed himself, the more his mind seemed to think in all of the wrong directions-sexual, non-straight directions. He knew Axel was the definition of trouble, so why was Roxas having trouble breathing? He should've been worried about the possibility of catching rabies from that bite.

His inner dilemma was interrupted by a slender hand wrapped around his bicep.

"Roxas? You still in there? Ground control to Major Tom?"

"Huh?"

"Great, you're alive. I'm going next door to get a pack of cigs. Catch the pizza for me?"

Roxas blinked, "...Yeah, whatever."

Axel looked a bit concerned, but left Roxas alone with his thoughts.

And Roxas didn't know which was worse-Axel or his strange reactions and thoughts regarding Axel.

He would've picked Axel if he wasn't so afraid of being molested again.

* * *

At the theater, Sora was having an inner dilemma of his own. For some reason he kept thinking of what Roxas had said to him a week ago.

 _You sure do hang out with him a lot. Are you sure you don't...you know...like Riku?_

 _We're just friends_ , Sora answered his own thought.

But it was funny to him how good Riku looked in a loose, red melange v-neck and a pair of jeans. His belt peeking out from the bottom of his shirt...

Sora stopped himself again.

 _Friends. This isn't a date. We go out like this all of the time. We're_ _ **friends**_ _._

Before he realized they were at the booth, Riku had already paid for their tickets and was motioning for Sora to join him at the concessions.

"H-hey! You paid for me! Why'd you go and do such a silly thing?" Sora beat his fists on Riku's chest playfully in a fake tantrum.

Riku chuckled and ruffled his hair-a trait that Sora both enjoyed and abhorred. It felt nice, but he hated being treated like a child.

"I had a little extra cash on me, so.."

"So what? That money was for you, not me!"

He smiled, making Sora's insides turn to mush, "This _is_ for me."

Sora was very confused. Apparently his face reflected this so Riku felt the need to explain further.

"You've been wanting to see the new _Despicable Me_ for a while so it's my treat. I like seeing you get excited over stuff."

"Oh yeah!" Sora sparkled.

 _That's right! We're going to see Despicable Me 3! I totally forgot!_

"Thanks Riku!"

Riku grinned, "Sure. You want some snacks?"

Sora snorted in response, "Do ya even have to ask?"

* * *

Marluxia opened his eyes and the beeping finally made sense. He was laying in a hospital bed and the beeping he heard was coming from the heart monitor. Of course, he easily guessed that this was the case so it didn't much surprise him.

His leg seared as if on fire, reminding him of what Tifa had done:

 _Marluxia held his breath and peered around the corner reluctantly. The direct path was clear, but he knew she was in the house somewhere waiting for him to come home._

 _"Mom?" He spoke softly, hoping in vain she wouldn't hear him. He shut the door behind him and crossed the threshold, heading for the kitchen._

 _It was dark, but for a shadow figure wielding a butcher knife. The glint of the knife caught his attention._

 _"What are you doing in the dark? Can I turn the light on please?"_

 _He craned his neck and squinted, trying to decipher his mother's face in the dark._

 _"No," the creature whispered and strode coolly towards him. Despite the countless horrible moments together, he felt himself start to shake uncontrollably. Something was very wrong here._

 _Tifa's face twisted into a terrifying grin. Her eyes were huge and wild. Her stride broke into a run. But, there was no time for Marluxia to react. Even if there was, his fear keep him locked in place._

 _"You lying, cheating son of a bitch!" She screeched and plunged the knife deep into his thigh._

 _He didn't see himself get stabbed and he didn't have to; he knew. Sharp waves of pain crashed over his entire body._

 _As Marluxia crumpled to the floor he found himself thinking how her words were truer than even she realized, just before blacking out._

A face blurred into view. Only it was far from any face he could have expected.

"L-Larxene?"

A pair of cold green eyes stared back at him from the bedside.

He slowly adjusted to the light and surveyed Larxene and the room. She actually looked quite nice in the purple dress she was wearing. She'd even taken out her piercings.

Normally with her it was all jeans, leather, and chains. She was the BDSM type. Most of the group had had a turn with her once or twice, including Marluxia.

It was never anything personal or meaningful. To the both of them, sex was sex. It meant nothing but bodily gratification.

So, being friends afterwards was never a problem.

"Yeah, yeah," she waved him off, predicting his stunned reaction.

"I'm sure you're thinking, 'Larxene _actually_ cares about someone?' But don't get your hopes up or anything, I'm here for my dad and I saw you as I was passing by. He's here for dialysis."

"I'm sorry," Marluxia replied dryly.

"No, you're not," she sighed. "You don't give a shit. And neither do I. But, I have to wait here for a while so you might as well tell me what happened."

Marluxia shook his head, "I cut my leg pretty bad while moving some glass."

Her eyes narrowed, "You're lying."

"No, that's really what happened," he looked away, not having the energy to keep up a facade.

"I get it. You don't want to talk about it."

Larxene rubbed her temples, "Why are people so sensitive about that kind of shit anyway? You know I'm not going to give a damn either way."

Marluxia rolled his eyes, "You really want to know? My mom did this. Happy?"

Larxene smirked impishly, "No, but that is pretty juicy. And depressing."

"Don't tell the others," Marluxia pleaded and Larxene nodded knowingly.

He could tell something had struck a nerve with her as her expression faltered. He wondered if she wasn't such a soulless bitch after all. He was open minded, and no one could be worse than Tifa.

They sat there for a while in comfortable silence until eventually, Larxene got up to leave.

"I have to go. I'll see you at school, problem child."

And then, out of nowhere Larxene threw a smile his way as if to say _feel better_. He fully expected pigs to start flying by his window singing songs in Spanish.

It was a strange day, indeed.

* * *

As Axel and Roxas started to make their way home, Roxas noticeably got more and more anxious. Axel saw him wringing his hands out of his peripheral and raised a brow.

 _What happened to him?_

"Uh, kid?"

Roxas jumped at the remark that broke their silent walk. He looked around wildly and responded with a higher pitch and even more hostility than usual, "What?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Axel turned his head and looked more closely this time.

"Are you-Are you _shaking?"_

"No!" Roxas's voice cracked.

He looked up at the sky and Axel wondered what he was looking at. He turned his head up as well.

"Think it'll rain?"

Axel hummed in thought for a second. Those clouds did look pretty dark. Maybe that's what he was looking at before.

"Looks like it. Why?"

Roxas swallowed and regained composure, "I don't like getting wet."

Axel cooed mockingly, "Aww, afraid you'll get your precious hair wet?"

He glared up at Axel, which looked more like a childish pout from Axel's perspective.

"Alright, alright. Let's get you home, princess," Axel laughed and slapped him on the ass with his free hand.

* * *

 **This has been one of my longer chapters; possibly longer than any of the others I've written. Not a lot of reaction to Chapter 2. I admit it was kind of flat. I hope you guys liked this one a little better. I do apologize for the abrupt switching from serious to happy. I tried to make them flow together better. Not sure if it worked the way I hoped, but let me know what you think.**

 **In case you're like me and don't know what melange means (I stumbled upon it and it fit perfectly), it's when the color is kind of a mixed color. So, that red is more of a subdued greyish red. The fabric looks a lot softer and like a different stitch pattern. Google image it ("melange red") and you'll see.**

 **I know Tifa fans really hate me right now. Don't get me wrong, I like Tifa just fine (*cough*Aeris is better*cough*) but I felt that using Tifa would give her more of a face that you'd recognize rather than me describing a stranger to you. Tifa also felt like the easiest female to roll downhill, as there aren't any FF female villains from the FFs that I've played. She also has** ** _huge_** **tits. Bonus. Ardyn really was a villain and I personally think his hair color resembles Marluxia's.**

 **For all you Roxas/Sora fans out there, the next chapter should please you greatly. Everyone else, don't worry because it has a purpose. I swears it.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: Unrelated Note**

 **Rating: M**

 **Pairings: Roxas/Axel, Riku/Sora, Marluxia/Luxord**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own KH, nor do I own rights to swell artists' work. Bowie, for example. I do not own his lyrics/music, nor do I own that glorious bulge; Sadly. He is very missed.**

 **Author's notes:** **I'm so excited for this chapter, because things are going to start moving forward and AkuRoku will become our focus point. Therefore, Marluxia, Luxord and even Riku are taking more of a backseat during this chapter.**

 **A small dedication to Roxas/Sora fans will follow. For everyone else, there's Master Card.**

 **The rating M is mostly me hedging my bets.**

Roxas: My World by SR-71

* * *

The movie theater was dark and a little chilly, and Riku didn't care much for cartoons.

He cared about Sora though, so he would grin and bear it for his sake. And goddamn, he looked sexy in those skinny jeans.

To his dismay, Sora was completely absorbed in this movie. Every time the small child Agnes graced the screen he 'awed' and he laughed loudly at even the smallest of jokes. Riku smiled and shook his head. He remarked that the personality of the child Agnes reminded him so much of Sora. She would get way too excited and adorable over silly things like unicorns and gummy bears.

Despite Sora's lack of attention, the distraction of the movie gave him plenty of time to ogle Sora in the dark undetected. Every so often, Sora would fidget and Riku redirected his gaze towards his pants. He imagined himself straddling them and kissing the length of Sora's collarbone. The thought of his rosy cheeks and the likely resulting embarrassment of being out in public were almost too much to bear. Sora was far too innocent. And that made him even more alluring to Riku.

But, that same trait also made him unobtainable, oblivious, and precious. He didn't want to be the one to ruin the perfect, childish naivety that was genuinely Sora. He had a hard time imagining Sora being sexually confident, but when he did he didn't know which Sora he would like better.

Even to Riku, Sora was a bit of an enigma at times. His likes and dislikes, and his history he pinned down easily, but his romantic interests were such a mystery they might as well have been non-existent.

He had to have thought about it, given that many potential suitors have pursued Sora and asked him out. This irritated Riku to no end. But, he never chased them off. He always let Sora decide for himself how to answer to them.

But, he always said no and whenever Riku asked why, Sora became somber and responded that they just "weren't his type"; he would complain that it depressed him having to turn them down, but Sora would never jump into anything that didn't feel right.

He respected that answer. It was so humble and responsible and Riku knew that Sora wasn't always a carefree, childish teenager. It wasn't easy getting close enough for Sora to reveal his serious side, but he had done so for Riku. Likewise, Sora knew lots of things about Riku most others wouldn't, too. Riku was afraid of spiders, Riku's parents split up when he was nine, Riku didn't like being alone as much as he portrayed himself, Riku's favorite holiday was Halloween..

So, even gaining Sora as a love interest would mean losing him as a friend. Riku couldn't bear that, and he was afraid of love; something Sora was also aware of due to his parents' divorce. Love didn't always last forever. Eventually all of these memories: Sora's laughter, his smile, his clumsiness, their time together on these outings. All of that could easily slip through Riku's fingers.

He deemed himself selfish for even wondering what kissing Sora might do to them.

But...what was Sora's "type"?

His thoughts fluttered in and out and before he knew it, credits had rolled and the rest of the room had filed out. Sora and Riku were the last ones there. If he had wanted to make a move, now would've been the perfect time.

His friend looked up at him expectantly, "Riku?"

"Yeah?"

Sora hesistated before he went on, "Roxas said something really strange to me a while back. He asked me if I liked you."

This was a turn of events he hadn't expected.

"Oh yeah?"

Riku felt as though his heart was trying to claw its way out of his chest. He held onto it with a vice grip, hoping it wouldn't spill out into words.

"Yeah. I don't mean like friends, he meant that-" Sora turned red and tilted his head to the side. He avoided looking up at him now.

"He thought I wanted to- to date you.. because we hang out a lot.."

"Oh..."

"I told him we were just friends..."

"Right," Riku waited for Sora to go on, clinging desperately to his words and hiding emotion from creeping into his face.

"R-Riku. We're- we're friends... right?" Sora seemed to be asking himself more than he was to Riku.

 _I could lose my Sora forever._

Riku looked down at the boy he loved so dearly, who was waiting for the answer to come. His face was bright red, and he'd suddenly gotten so serious. His radiant blue eyes narrowed in concern and were looking away every so often out of embarrassment. Riku couldn't tell if he'd been fidgeting from the cold, or if he'd been thinking about this while he thought Sora was enjoying the movie. He was fidgeting more now than he was before.

Riku decided that the middle road would be the best course of action here.

"Of course we are," Riku squeezed his hand and leaned over to kiss his forehead.

Sora looked like he might cry, but he closed his eyes as Riku's lips brushed over his head.

Then Sora wrapped his arms around him and hugged as tight as the armrest between them would allow.

Riku took this opportunity to breathe in Sora's hair; he rarely got close enough to fully appreciate Sora's touch and smells. It was a sweet smell, but he could never find an accurate comparison to describe it.

 _This is enough for me. I've always let him decide for himself. If he chooses me, he'll let me know._

Riku sighed and got up slowly, lending a hand to help Sora stand up.

"Enough with the heavy. How'd you like the movie?"

Sora's blush dissipated and his grin returned as though nothing had happened, "I loved it!"

He felt relieved at the change, but still wanted to push Sora up against one of those popcorn machines and pop something else-

But, that desire would always be there. He'd gotten good at separating his thoughts from his actions.

Riku smirked, "Good. Let's go home before you miss curfew."

 _Because if I'm alone with you and those pants for one more second, you will most definitely miss curfew. By several hours._

* * *

Summer slowly bled into fall, and routine fell over the students of Twilight High as they worked diligently on preparing for exams and college applications. Well, most of the students.

Fortunately for Marluxia, everyone but Larxene believed his glass story. Riku was suspicious, but brushed it off as being none of his business. He kept his suspicions to himself.

His mother Tifa barely skirted the blame for the accident. She had woven a very convincing tale that Marluxia readily backed up to the hospital staff. They were more than a little suspicious, but eventually let them both go home. Marluxia could tell that she didn't mean for it to go that far, but she fell back into her usual habits very quickly. He figured out that she'd found a note in one of his pants' pockets from Luxord. Mistaking Marluxia for Ardyn as she often did, she assumed (correctly, though Marluxia never admitted) that he had been cheating on her with Luxord. It only had a time, place, and name scribbled across it in slanted cursive, so he was surprised that she was able to figure it out. Perhaps he really did get his intelligence from her.

Roxas finally settled into the routines of his new home. It took a lot of adjusting, but most of the time he and Axel successfully avoided each other. Occasionally when Axel was home (though more often he wasn't), he would pester Roxas through the locked door. He kept himself locked in his room for that very reason. At dinner Axel would use his fork to flick bits of potato and peas at Roxas, cheering when it landed in his hair as though he'd kicked a field goal.

Rarely, Roxas would flick something back and start a fork fight. Most of the time, he ignored it completely until Kellie chided Axel to stop.

He still detested Axel, but had slowly warmed up to Kellie, who was surprisingly a very sweet woman. He hadn't remembered his own mother, so it was nice to feel like he had a mom figure in his life. She always made sure he had a good lunch and checked in via text if he wasn't home in time for dinner.

So he really couldn't comprehend what Axel had been bitching about. As far as Roxas could tell, Kellie was a great mom.

Kellie and Cole postponed their wedding date indefinitely in favor of planning it more thoroughly and giving everyone time to adjust. Both Roxas and Axel were relieved.

Riku and Sora went back to their usual ways, though Roxas remarked they were much more careful when it came to physical contact of any kind.

So, everything had stayed the same aside from the leaves changing color.

Or at least, that's what Roxas thought.

* * *

Once Kellie found out Roxas and Axel shared their last class together she started insisting that Axel drive Roxas home after school. He didn't have to drive him to school; only bring him home. It was a humble request which Axel argued vehemently against. It meant Axel would be home more for dinner, and that he couldn't spend all of his time with friends like Xigbar.

After a few times of 'forgetting' and Kellie threatening to punish the both of them, Axel finally gave way and started taking Roxas home.

It was around that time that the shop class notes started.

 _Thanks to a certain blonde brat, I have to sit around this boring ass class all the time now._

 _Not my fault._

 _Oh, it so is._

Roxas drew a tiny bird on the paper.

 _You can't get an STD from building a birdhouse._

Axel took his red pen and scribbled blood on the little bird's breast. He drew a tiny gun and wrote the words "STD" on the barrel.

 _Shows what you know._

It made Roxas chuckle a little. Whatever went on in Axel's mind couldn't be pinned down to a single thought.

Somewhere along the way, Roxas started looking forward to shop class. It meant Axel, who was just as bored as he was, would be noting him strange nonsense to pass the time.

Of course, any other time of day Axel's friends could pick on Roxas and Axel would say nothing to his defense. But, the only times Roxas had to worry about it were before school and during lunch. It was the occasional tripping, sneering, and muttering of a hurtful insult like "faggot" or "bitch". He wasn't surprised. They were all classic insults, but a good amount of their group had been gay so he didn't really understand that one. He had assumed that Axel was behind it all. Thinking of that made the whole note thing less fun so Roxas preferred not to dwell on it.

Instead, he chose to ignore it and be the prude that they all thought he was.

As usual, Sora was always around to help him pick his lunch off the ground or dust him off. He'd just shrug and smile that goofy smile while Roxas muttered a hurried "Thanks."

The one named "Xigbar" was the worst. Roxas started actively avoiding him after he had asked Roxas for a blow job and pinched at his waist. Axel made unwelcomed advances too, but with Xigbar it was a lot more physical with the pinching and slapping of his ass. And with Xigbar it was more to embarrass him than anything. It made him feel gross.

* * *

Despite everything, none of this hurt Roxas as much as what happened on a Saturday night mid-October. He was in his room watching "Deadpool" at three in the morning when he heard the door unlocking downstairs.

He never did before, but he felt drawn out of his room to peer around the corner down at the base of the stairs.

The door flew open and smacked into the adjacent wall, making Roxas jump. Two figures emerged. But, they were so intertwined they looked like one blob of horny teenager. He could hear Axel murmur in a husky voice, "Upstairs", so Roxas retreated back to his room and peered through the crack to see who the other person was. He felt his heart sink as Axel slammed a laughing Tidus up against the wall and kissed him fiercely, before pushing him into the room and slamming the door. Roxas slowly locked his door back and curled up on his bed, leaning against the wall.

The moans were unbearable, so he put in his earbuds and fell asleep to Chelsea Grin with the sound as high as it would go. He wondered why Kellie or Cole never heard the commotion.

He felt stupid for thinking that they could ever be friends.

By the time Roxas woke up, Tidus and Axel had both disappeared again. Something in Roxas felt terribly barren and empty that day, so he did nothing but sleep and listen to music.

Come Monday, Roxas didn't respond to any notes or talk to anyone.

He went through the motions of walking around but with no real drive or emotion.

Sora couldn't break through and Axel even sent a genuine note asking what was wrong. Roxas simply ripped it to bits and sent him a look that could curdle milk.

So, Axel left him alone.

Roxas hated everything and everyone. He told himself that no one was genuine. No one could be trusted.

But Sora didn't give up. By Friday, he was determined to bring Roxas out of his funk and back into the real world.

He confronted Roxas again at lunch.

"Rox, you really gotta eat something."

No response.

"Look, I need a favor. Do ya think you could drop by my house after school? Mom's making breakfast for dinner and I asked if I could bring a friend and she said it's fine."

No response.

"You could stay over for the night since it's Friday. I have this really cool Retron thingy that plays old games so we could play Mario 3 too."

No response.

"Please Roxas? I need to talk to someone."

He added in a whisper, "You know, about Riku..."

Now he had Roxas's attention. He looked straight up into Sora's orbed blue eyes with his own tired ones.

Roxas sighed and thought on it for a moment. Sora looked really desperate and he couldn't tell if it was because of his silence, or something about Riku.

Hell, he didn't care about their stupid relationship anymore. Sora was cute, and Roxas was lonely. He didn't know what that meant, but it wasn't good.

He thought of all the times that Sora helped him out, and it seemed fair for Roxas to help Sora for once. It caught his attention at least, because Sora _never_ asked for help unless it was with homework.

He grimaced, "Fine. I'll grab a few things from home and come over after school."

Sora smiled earnestly, "Thanks Roxas."

The exchange left Roxas pawing at his food again, wondering what he'd gotten himself into.

* * *

 _Let's play tic-tac-toe. If I win, you tell me what has you all fucked up. If you win, I give you a BJ and call it a day._

 _No. If I win, you leave me the fuck alone about this._

 _Deal._

Axel drew a tic-tac-toe board and placed his first "X"'.

Strangely, it didn't surprise Roxas at all that he chose "X" instead of "O". He smiled and imagined some stupid sexual meaning being associated with the "O" as he drew his first move.

They passed the board back and forth until Roxas drew his final "O", winning the match. Axel groaned so loud the teacher had to 'shush' them and asked for the note. He blushed at seeing the BJ offer and crumpled it up, chiding them for not paying attention.

Roxas chuckled to himself and Axel grumbled something to the effect of "fucking bullshit".

* * *

Axel nudged Roxas as he pulled out his car keys in the school parking lot that evening.

"Get in, kid."

Roxas looked up at the sky, debating whether he could walk home instead.

"Dark clouds," he murmured to himself and got in the passenger seat.

It was not lost on Axel, who followed his gaze and furrowed his brow.

 _All this time not talking, and that's all you got to say to me?_

Axel started the engine with a familiar roar, only this time he left the music off. He had never done that before.

"Roxas," he started.

Roxas looked out the window. Aside from some trembling, he remained resolute. When he didn't respond, Axel searched for the right thing to say. It never came. It bothered the living hell out of him not knowing what went on in the freshman's mind.

"Got any big plans this weekend?" Axel smiled.

This finally stirred Roxas, but not in the way Axel had hoped.

His cheeks turned red and his eyes narrowed, "Oh, I dunno. I might have sex with Sora this weekend so we'll see."

Axel gaped and he would have made light of it, had Roxas's words not been dripping with venom. Apparently, that tic-tac-toe match did not rob him of his crinkliness towards Axel.

His eyes widened, "Oh-oh yeah?"

Roxas shrugged, "Yeah. Why don't you bring _Tidus_ over? Then we could tag team." Roxas faked enthusiasm at the end of his statement.

"Uh.." Axel was officially lost for words and no one had ever rendered him speechless before.

The realization crashed on him like a grand piano filled with cement bricks. And it hurt. A lot.

"Kid, I-"

"Don't talk to me!" Roxas spat.

"And don't call me kid."

Axel winced and directed his gaze back to the road, "Ok, Roxas."

When they reached the house, Roxas shot a fleeting look at the sky before rushing inside and up the stairs.

On his way down for dinner, Axel realized that Roxas really had gone to Sora's.

 _Why was he so worked up about me and Tidus?_

But to be fair the Sora bit was starting to get to Axel, too. He found himself fantasizing about it repeatedly, and not in a good way.

 _Would he really do something like that? I've seen Sora before and he turned me down once. Really cute kid. But, Riku is obsessed with him. How did Roxas get past Riku? Should I tell Riku about something like this? I mean, who am I to judge the kid for sleeping around?_

His mind wandered in circles. Axel decided to stay home for the weekend. He had some serious questions for Roxas when he got home. And as usual on bad days for Axel, it started storming outside and it didn't look like it would let up anytime soon.

* * *

Of course, Roxas wasn't actually going to sleep with Sora. It was only something he had said to hurt Axel's feelings. It seemed to have worked, if only just a little.

Roxas didn't really have friends besides Sora, and by extension, Riku.

Axel was never really a friend, but having him around had been of some comfort lately. He shouldn't have been surprised, but it gnawed at his insides anyway.

There was only one person left Roxas could turn to. He was apprehensive, yet knew that Sora would never do anything to cause Roxas harm.

He rang the doorbell and waited as he heard the sound of Sora fumbling his way down the stairs. He'd been over a couple times before. This would be his first overnight visit.

Sora flung the door open with a grin and gave him a hug that nearly knocked Roxas over.

 _Sheesh. Of all the people I could have been friends with..._

Sora was the perfect foil to Roxas's stormy personality.

"You came! Come in, come in!"

No sooner than Roxas stepped inside, Sora was pushing him towards the kitchen where he could smell the sweet aroma of pancakes with syrup.

"Roxas, grab a plate! We were just about to sit down for dinner breakfast!" Sora bounded his way over to the array of fixings spread out over the countertop.

"Dinner break-" Roxas halted mid-statement when he saw the copious amounts of food.

Strawberries, maple syrup, blueberry syrup, butter, cinnamon, sugar, waffles, pancakes, french toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns..

When his mom got to cooking, she clearly didn't know when to stop. Fortunately for her, Sora was a living vacuum.

Before Roxas had finished his first (and only) plate, Sora had already plowed through three fully loaded plates.

 _How in the living hell are you so damn skinny?_

When they were finished eating, Roxas listened halfheartedly to Sora's conversation with his mom. Every so often Roxas would offer dialogue of his own and chuckled at a few of their jokes. But, more often he was really laughing at their reactions to their own jokes. Sora's mom Selphie was almost as silly as he was. Her matching chestnut hair even went out in strange directions like Sora's did, though her style was much different.

"So then the one prison minion started tattooing the other minion's butt! It was hilarious!"

Selphie giggled loudly and her cheeks burned red just as Sora's had.

She looked over at Roxas and sent a warm smile his way.

"Sora, why don't you and your friend settle in for the night. I'll take care of the dishes today."

Selphie grabbed their plates and hummed her way over to the sink.

"Okay, mom! Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, sweetie."

Sora led Roxas up the stairs to his room. It had been just the same as the last time he'd visited. Granted, there were a few extra pictures added to his corkboard above the desk.

Sora's room was a strange mixture between child and adult. The comforter was a plain, navy blue and the walls were a bland off-white. But, there were things scattered about neatly such as a boat-in-a-bottle on the wall shelf, a clothes hamper shaped like a duck, and a few beloved stuffed animals. It matched Sora's personality pretty well.

Sora closed the door behind them and faced Roxas again, "Do you wanna play the Retron thingy?"

"That's okay. I'll watch you play though."

"That's no fun Rox! We gotta play together! It's more fun that way!"

Roxas blushed and winced, "Fine. I'll play one game. Your choice."

"Yay!" Sora sifted through his game box carefully before plucking out a game for the Nintendo titled "Mendel Palace".

"This is my favorite" Sora wiggled the cartridge in the game slot and turned the power on.

"Riku and I play a lot."

 _Oh, he wishes._

Roxas smirked and picked up the other controller.

The game was surprisingly fun. It was obviously Sora's favorite because he was really good at it. He must've practiced before, because he didn't die even once.

Roxas was the only reason the team didn't progress. Despite his lack of skill with it, he still enjoyed the fun little characters spinning and stomping around trying to flip him into the wall. The soundtrack was cute, too. It was frustrating, as most older games were, but it did brighten his sour mood. Sora seemed to enjoy it too, making it very apparent that his favorite characters were the little fattie sumo wrestlers. He giggled every time they flipped one on the board, as it would stomp and send one of their characters backwards. Roxas found it more annoying than endearing.

Sora turned the power off with a sigh, "Roxas, you kind of suck at this." They both laughed.

"I think you're just used to winning, actually."

He pouted and turned up his nose, "Riku and I always win."

Roxas grinned and flicked him on the nose, "Well, I'm not Riku so you'll just have to settle."

"Yeah, about that..." Sora rubbed his neck and laughed nervously.

 _So, he really wasn't just trying to cheer me up._

Roxas had to admit, he was a little disappointed; maybe even a little jealous. All Riku and Sora had between their relationship was a lack of initiative. It was easy to fix.

"So what happened? I've noticed you were acting a little different at school."

"Well.."

Sora struggled to form the right words for it. He sighed again and leaned back on his arms in the bed.

Roxas got up from his place on the floor to sit beside Sora on the bed.

"I dunno why, but I keep thinking about how you asked me if I liked him. We were at the movies once and I kind of- asked if we were friends," Sora winced as though his words were knives.

"He said we were, but then he kissed my head. He never said we were any more than that, though. Do friends do stuff like that? He probably thinks I'm really weird for even asking," Sora groaned. "Stupid, stupid Sora.."

Roxas rolled his eyes, "Well, for starters you were too vague."

"Vague?" Sora parroted.

"Yes Sora, vague. You didn't say you liked him, and you never asked if he even liked you that way. All you asked was whether or not you were friends. Of course he's gonna say yes."

"Oh," Sora feigned a sigh of relief. "That's good, then."

"No, it's not good enough. You like him Sora. And it's obvious he likes you too," Roxas smiled half-heartedly seeing the sparkle his encouragement brought to Sora's eyes.

"But I'm not-"

"Gay?" Roxas finished.

Sora nodded slowly.

He grimaced, "It's not really about that. If you like someone, you like someone. All you can do is try and date him to see. Why should his gender matter? Half of that group is gay anyway." Roxas winced.

It was interesting to see Sora acting so...normal. Roxas had never seen him get this serious about anything. He didn't think Sora had the attention span for rational thought, or dating for that matter.

It was kind of...Well, for lack of a better word he found it attractive. Sora was cute before but now he looked like a frightened deer that could run off at a moment's notice.

"Roxas?"

"Yeah?

"Have you ever...ya know... had those kinds of thoughts...about a guy?" Sora tilted his head, wincing again in thought. His cheeks were deeply red. He rubbed at his arm nervously.

Roxas reflected on that for a moment. He could admit that he didn't see girls the way he saw Sora, and it made him more than a little upset seeing Axel bringing randoms home to bang out.

"Sure, I guess. I haven't really given it that much thought."

"And have you ever-have you ever...tried anything...you know..."

"With a guy?"

 _Well, with anyone. I've never done anything with anyone...I'm pretty fucking boring._

Sora nodded.

"Nope..Can't say I have."

Sora sat up straight and both boys fell silent. Roxas found himself staring at Sora's lips. They were slightly parted and he was staring up at Roxas with wide eyes. His brow was drawn up in concern and he was just so damned cute.

 _To hell with it._

Before Roxas realized he was moving, he'd crawled right up to Sora and cupped his face in his hands. He searched his eyes for just a moment as he leaned in closer.

Sora let him, half-lidding his eyes and tilting his head up slightly.

So, Roxas kissed Sora. At first, their lips met and Roxas did nothing. But, when Sora didn't pull away Roxas started moving his mouth, getting the feel of Sora's skin. Sora shivered and kissed back sloppily. After a few moments though, he got the hang of it too and their tongues danced. Roxas could feel Sora's smooth teeth, his soft cheeks, and rugged tongue. His breath was very sweet.

He pushed Sora down into the mattress and broke away for a moment to suck at his neck. Sora squirmed a little and moaned softly.

As aroused as Roxas had become, he knew this wasn't his place. He knew that this was that special something meant for only Riku to see. It was Riku's soft skin, Riku's moans, Riku's mouth, Riku's breath...Riku's Sora.

He liked Sora. And he really wanted Sora.

He didn't realize how long and how much he did, but he did.

But, Sora asked him here to talk about Riku. Not to make out with Roxas. He wasn't about to take away the special moment that would inevitably happen between _Riku_ and Sora. He only wished his virginity would be shared in a special moment, too.

He pulled away and when Sora looked confused, Roxas kissed him one last time before helping him sit up.

"You have to tell him how you feel Sora."

There it was. Now Sora shared the same guilt in his face as Roxas had felt.

Roxas put a smile to it and Sora visibly melted a little.

"You won't know until you do. But, now we both have experience?"

They laughed, and for once Roxas was glad he had let his wall down.

Sora had relaxed a lot more since they'd started talking. He curled up and leaned against Roxas, yawning.

"Thanks Rox. I feel a lot better now," Sora let out a giggly hiccup as Roxas wound his arms around Sora.

But, then he heard the thunder crash outside..

Roxas jumped uncontrollably and whipped his head around, looking for somewhere- anywhere to hide.

"Roxas! Shh, it's okay.. It's okay," Sora pulled him back down to bed and handed him a pair of earplugs. Roxas shoved them in his ears quickly, shaking violently.

Thank God Sora knew he was afraid of storms.

Sora threw the blanket over their heads and curled up against his chest, hushing him until Roxas stopped shaking long enough to fall asleep.

* * *

 **I've already put in a lot of work on the next chapter, which I'm more than a little excited about. I hope I'm not rushing things too far but I'm just far too excited to hold all this stuff back anymore.**

 **Were you able to guess that Roxas is afraid of storms? I mean, it was pretty obvious...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: Unrelated Note**

 **Rating: M**

 **Pairings: Roxas/Axel, Riku/Sora, Marluxia/Luxord**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just a poor writer, nobody likes me. She's just a poor writer from a poor family. Spare her her life, for she doesn't own these words.**

Axel: True Friends Stab You In The Front by Bring Me The Horizon

* * *

Sunday morning brought the sunshine back, and Roxas woke up with a mumbly Sora in his arms. He slowly unwrapped himself and stretched his limbs out.

He tried not to wake Sora, and that wasn't very hard with Sora being such a loud and heavy sleeper. Roxas planted a hesitant kiss on his forehead and ruffled his hair before leaving. Sora nuzzled his new pillow companion and mumbled something about cheese sticks.

The walk back home gave Roxas time to think, but he still got there shortly after ten a.m. His hormones had skyrocketed during his night with Sora and now all he wanted to do was push Riku out of the picture. Actually, he just wanted to fuck something pretty but his conscience and standards were getting in the way. Staring at their house from the lawn, his thoughts continued to wander. He knew Axel would probably still be sleeping right about now, but he didn't feel like being around him for when he did wake up.

He kept walking past the house and down the street.

 _What will I say when I do have to face him again? Should I keep up with the whole 'sex with Sora' thing? It's true, we did fool around a little, but I'd still be lying if I kept saying we did it._

The fact that he could have rocked Sora's world but didn't perplexed him deeply. Anyone else would have killed to have had the same opportunity. Riku would have torn him to a million pieces if he found out what had happened.

Roxas blushed and kicked at a rock. The sounds and facial expressions were still fresh in his mind. It all made him feel like he'd opened the biggest present before Christmas morning had come.

But, Sora's virginity had been saved for another day. Something inside told him that he'd made the right decision there.

Before he realized how far he'd walked, Roxas found himself on the opposite edge of town and it was two in the afternoon. He'd been wandering aimlessly for four whole hours. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. It stayed on just long enough to see the time and that he had a voicemail and text messages on it, before the screen went black.

Roxas shoved it back in his pocket.

 _Shit. Forgot to charge it. Kellie's probably looking for me. I should head back._

 _Can't avoid him forever._

It was then that Roxas finally paid attention to his surroundings. He wasn't only on the opposite end of town, but he was also in the _bad_ part of town. This was where the dealers met up and buildings started looking more run down. It was the only area he wasn't super familiar with. Kids his age had nicknamed it the "Hollow Bastion".

He looked around trying to find a landmark he'd remember, but found none. Roxas decided to just retrace his steps until he came across something he recognized.

 _There it is._

He'd remembered seeing the same convenience store that stood in front of him once before with Cole. Seeing it now, Roxas knew he'd be headed in the right direction. He hastened his pace.

 _If I hurry I'll be home in time for dinner._

Just as he was getting to know exactly where he was, someone stepped in front of Roxas so quickly that he found himself laying on the sidewalk.

He started getting up and noticed that his head hurt from being knocked back. It throbbed and Roxas felt a little light headed. He rubbed it gingerly.

"I'm so-"

Looking up, he realized that this was no accident.

"Sup, Blondie?"

Xigbar grinned down at him and held out a hand to help him up. Roxas got up on his own and glared at him before starting again for home.

"Hey, hey, hey! Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you?" Xigbar was following him now. Roxas walked faster.

"Roxas!" Xigbar caught him by the wrist and swung him sideways. Roxas felt his body falling back to the ground. He landed in a dark alleyway.

"Oh, great. Very cliche," he mumbled to himself.

"I happen to like it here 'Roxie'. It's very cozy. Perfect for a fireside chat, wouldn't ya' say? Sorry about that, I didn't mean to throw you so hard. I just get so excited sometimes."

Roxas did not like the way Xigbar was staring at him. He heard laughter and realized that they weren't alone. He recognized some of the voices from school: Vexen, Xaldin, and the biggest of their group, Lexaeus.

Roxas moved to get up and a strong arm pulled him back down from behind. He looked around for possible exits but he was surrounded on all sides. It was pretty obvious he wouldn't be getting out of this alleyway easily.

"What do you want?" Roxas gritted his teeth.

"Oh not much Roxie-poo. I just want to take you down a peg or two. See, my buddy Axel has this problem. Being my friend and all I feel it's my responsibility to help him out."

"And how exactly does beating my ass help anything?"

Xigbar laughed, "Oh that's cute. He really thinks we're going to beat him up!"

Another round of laughter ensued.

Xigbar hushed them and crouched down to Roxas's level.

"My friend stopped being a good friend. Hanging out with the wrong crowd these days, see. I haven't seen him in a while and I just thought you might have something to do with that."

"Well, you're wrong. Axel and I don't 'hang out'," Roxas air-quoted.

Xigbar smiled sweetly and Roxas felt an unpleasant knot forming in his stomach.

"Well that's too bad, because he seems to have taken an in ordinary liking to _you._ So much in fact, that he won't come see us anymore. Right Tidus?"

Another figure stepped into the light. He hesitated and nodded, rubbing his arm anxiously. Roxas twisted his head up to look at him and Tidus looked away out of shame. He knew what was about to happen, and he was obviously struggling with a conscience over it. Xigbar on the other hand, now had a crooked smile plastered on his face. As far as Roxas was concerned, Axel was still going out late at night and doing his thing with Tidus and lord knows who else. Nothing had changed. Except-

"You're jealous," he voiced aloud.

Xigbar narrowed his eyes.

"You're jealous that we live in the same house, aren't you? Because I'm the one around him the most now? You know he's never home, right? He's always out with you guys."

"Shut up!" Xigbar spat and punched Roxas in the face.

Roxas felt the back of his head hit the pavement again and was feeling very faint now.

"When we're done with you, you'll wish that I'd only beat your ass," Xigbar unlatched his belt and leaned over Roxas now. His breath smelled bad. It wasn't like the smell of cigarettes Axel had. It was musty and foul.

Roxas's eyes widened as he finally realized what Xigbar's plans for him were.

"Let me go!" he screamed.

He could hear a couple of other belts unlatching behind him and he nearly gagged. They were going to masturbate while Xigbar took his virginity.

"I barely even see him!"

"He drives you home every day and you expect me to believe that bullshit?"

He wanted to struggle with all that he had, but Roxas felt frozen from the shock of it. It was all happening so fast. He started shaking and could hear Lexaeus call from the crowd, "Hurry up, I'm next."

 _Good God, no._

The thought of Lexaeus fucking him, huge boulder of a man on top of his own small frame, terrified him.

His normal, icy hostility vanished and the adrenaline everyone said would come in an emergency, never showed up to the party. He was stripped of all hope and was left feeling like a small child; lost, scared, helpless, and small. He felt tears rolling down his cheeks.

Xigbar ripped Roxas's shirt off and licked his lips hungrily as he ran a hand down the length of his body. Roxas gritted his teeth and turned his face away. His cheeks felt hot.

 _I wish it had been Sora. I didn't want it to be this way. This feels disgusting._

Xigbar busied himself in kissing and sucking on Roxas's chest and nipples. He started to struggle but knew it was a hopeless effort. Lexaeus and Xaldin came to hold him down with the hands they weren't already stroking themselves with.

"You're real cute, Roxie. _Living_ with you, I dunno why Axel didn't touch you. You're so soft...God, why in the fuck haven't you been fucked before?"

Roxas regained some of his strength, and struggled violently as Xigbar started to yank at his pants when Xigbar's face went blank. He fell on top of Roxas, who quickly rolled him back off.

"Because Roxas doesn't fuck with low lifes like us," A strong voice shouted from behind them.

Everyone froze and Tidus took his cue to run like a bat out of hell.

"And I thought you were better than this," Axel spoke softly as he and Tidus crossed paths.

Tidus looked over his shoulder with a pained look on his face.

"C'mon kid, time to go!" Axel hoisted Roxas over his shoulder and snarled at the leftover bystanders who glared back icily in response.

"Any takers?" He swung his rubber mallet around and grinned wickedly.

"No?"

Silence.

"Well, toodle-oo!" Axel loped from the alleyway and quickly tossed Roxas in Abe's backseat.

Roxas groaned and his eyes rolled as he lost consciousness.

As Axel sped away, he combed a hand through his hair, "Mom is gonna kill us. What in the hell were you thinking, walking all the way out here? At least you're safe, kid. That's all that matters."

He peered over his shoulder at the slumbering Roxas, making sure he was still breathing.

Axel mulled the words over in his mind again for a minute.

"That's all that matters?" he murmured to himself.

When Roxas started to come to, he could hear three voices laced with concern and agitation speaking above him. He felt tired, and weak. Was this a panic attack, maybe? His chest hurt, but he figured that could be from being tossed around so much. He could decipher pieces of conversation, but he was too tired to pay much attention. His focus centered on one voice in particular, which enveloped his ear so he assumed he was being held and his head was resting against someone's chest.

"He's fine...Yeah...It's okay, I'll do it...he's really light."

The gentle thrum of a heartbeat lulled him back to sleep while his carrier brought him up to his room.

Axel gently placed Roxas on the bed. The lack of warmth made him start shivering again so Axel covered him up with the comforter and laid an extra blanket on top. He stood there for a moment, waiting for the shivering to stop. Roxas hummed happily.

 _Dreaming on about something interesting, I'll bet._

Axel smiled. Roxas looked so snuggly and peaceful. His mouth was parted slightly, showing just a hint of teeth. The exposed hand clenched and unclenched the edge of the comforter a little. The sight of him made Axel want to climb right in there with him. He sighed.

"G'night Roxas," Axel pulled the door shut softly behind him as he reluctantly left the room.

* * *

When Roxas opened his eyes, the sight that met him was chaotic at best. The room he was in now was covered in mirrors and chandeliers. It was far from the comfort of his familiar bedroom.

He felt scared, and lost. His heart fluttered rapidly in his chest. Roxas looked into one of the mirrors and gasped. He looked nothing like his usual self.

Under one of his eyes was painted a delicate blue pattern ending mid-cheek. His hair was streaked with blue highlights. A silk blue cravat was tied around his neck and tucked into a silver vest which was buttoned tightly over his chest. Under the vest was a thin, white long sleeved dress shirt that puffed out loosely at the bottom of the sleeves before cuffing at the wrists. His pants buttoned on either side of his waist and ended at the knees, where white stockings took over. His shoes were a very old style of brown dress shoe with a top buckle and wedge heel at the back.

The entire room he stood in was hazy and crowded. Men and women danced lithely and raucous laughter reverberated off the mirrors, doubling the amount of noise. It made Roxas's head hurt and it was hard to think clearly. Nothing felt clear. He was dizzy and the crowd made him feel increasingly anxious.

The partygoers all wore heavily ornamented masks and some had strange, long noses. He recognized some of the hairstyles behind the masks to resemble people he knew.

Someone spewing fruit spit on him as they chewed and talked at a nearby patron, confirmed this to be a banquet hall. It dawned on him that Roxas was standing in the middle of a very Venetian/Georgian masquerade ball.

Everyone around him was staring at him, making him feel small and out of place. He obviously didn't belong in a place like this and somehow they knew that.

Then the music started and Roxas recognized it immediately. In the waking world, he would know that he was reliving a scene from the movie "Labyrinth" and that the music playing was "As the World Falls Down" by David Bowie. But here, the meaning of everything eluded him completely. It was all so familiar to him, but he could not remember where he'd seen and heard this before.

He weaved through the crowds with difficulty, looking for some kind of exit or relief from the suffocating mass of people around him.

Out of nowhere, the crowd parted in front of him and at the end of the clearing stood a very distinguished looking man. His tail coat was a bright, shining blue with flecks of gold that sparkled in the light. It was much more ornate and colorful than anyone else's around them. His pants were high-waisted and his white cravat was fluffed in layers. Roxas could not immediately decipher a face, as it was covered with a demonic, horned mask.

But that flurry of wild, red hair was so familiar...

 _Axel?_

The man removed his mask and Roxas's heart did somersaults. He had definitive little diamond markings below each eye. They were a purplish-red, but could easily be mistaken for black as small and dark as they were. His eyes were a bright green emerald shining through a dark coat of eye makeup. They smoldered Roxas to his core and blazed through him much like a shooting star punctures the black night sky. He looked surprised to see Roxas standing there and suddenly Roxas felt embarrassed for staring at him for so long.

As if reading his thoughts, Axel averted his eyes to the side. He looked a little sad.

Roxas instinctively reached out and started forward. But as soon as he did, the man vanished and the crowd had returned. Roxas plowed through them more forcefully now, with a new objective: find Axel.

It wasn't long before they crossed paths again. This time Axel was dancing with a masked admirer. The gracefulness of their waltz made Roxas feel inexperienced, and left out. He was again overcome with a feeling of not belonging here.

But as soon as Axel saw him, he pardoned himself from his partner and made his way over to Roxas. He held out his hand and Roxas tentatively laid his own in his palm. Axel kissed his hand and grinned up at him. Roxas's breath hitched. Axel's smile was coy and playful; almost cat-like.

He wrapped an arm lightly around Roxas's waist and clasped the other hand with his own. Just the feel of his long, thin fingers touching his own sent shockwaves down his spine. Roxas laid a hand on his shoulder and stared up at him. His own orbed blue eyes got caught up in Axel's focused emeralds.

He led them in an airy waltz around the banquet hall. Roxas felt himself sway and twirl with him to the music's tempo. He had never danced a waltz before in his life, but with Axel he felt himself gliding and flying effortlessly across the floor. Roxas never once looked down at his feet.

Lights and colors danced off of the chandeliers, setting them apart in the most brilliant and beautiful of lights. Axel smiled down at him and Roxas melted in his arms. Despite the smooth waltz, the two had a torrid demeanor in their quickness and intense focus on each other.

Roxas no longer felt out of place, and everything was where it was supposed to be.

Because Roxas had fallen in love.

A lurking masquerade dancer kept appearing nearby, and Roxas started to take notice of him. His silver hair glinted in the light, drawing his attention each time. He knew that frame, that hair. A scar protruded from his mask slightly on one side...

And the more he got distracted from Axel, the more his anxiety and uncertainty returned. The partygoers were staring again and laughing, this time directly at him.

Roxas felt his eyes welling up and Axel looked more than a little concerned.

As Axel moved to touch his face, someone yanked Roxas away. A masked, blonde figure draped a possessive arm around Axel's shoulder. Roxas felt everything shatter around him. He was falling and reaching out towards his lover. Axel reached out an open hand, too. But it was too late. Roxas had fallen too far, and his heart ached as he watched Axel's grief stricken face calling out soundlessly to him. The warm light faded away, leaving Roxas alone again in the stifling darkness.

He hit the ground with a thud and laid there in silence.

Roxas woke up on the floor of his room and winced. His cheeks were stiff from a dried mixture of sweat and tears. If it hadn't been for his aching muscles, he would have assumed the whole day had been a dream. Not wanting to deal with reality anymore, he coaxed himself back into a painless sleep.

* * *

Marluxia realized he wasn't the only one who had a rough weekend when he came back to school Monday morning. Wakka was proudly showing off a leg brace apparently from an incident during soccer practice. Larxene looked a little 'off', but he knew that likely had something to do with her father falling ill again. He envied her for that. He actually felt a little angry at her for being off the rails the way she was with at least one good parent.

What was even more bizarre was the state in which most of his 'friends' (if you'd call them that) had come back in. It was a strange parade of bloodied noses, black eyes, bruises, and cracked lips. Marluxia counted them as they appeared: Tidus, Vexen, Xaldin, Lexaeus, and worst of all, Xigbar. Xigbar had multiple bruises, burn marks, two black eyes, and was walking in a strange resemblance of a limp. Having a background in sexual abuse, Marluxia could easily assume that his genitals had been injured as well. Someone had even removed his eye patch, and the students who hadn't previously seen Xigbar's ugly scar where his eye should have been, were staring and whispering amongst themselves. The cocky, abrasiveness that he normally had was replaced with a very serious anger dangerously mixed with the shame of having his ass beat. Marluxia knew him to be the wildest of the bunch, but apparently he went too far with the wrong person and paid the price for it.

He saw Demyx strumming his guitar and Zexion listening on the bench next to him. Marluxia approached them and Demyx stopped playing to look up at him.

"Sup' Marley?"

Marluxia waved shyly, "Hello, Demyx. Zexion."

Zexion nodded in greeting. He hadn't been a wordy member of their group either. But, for some reason Demyx (one of the most talkative) took an odd liking to him. Zexion always read a book and sat listening to him play in the mornings. If he hadn't known better, Marluxia would assume they were a couple and for all he knew they might have been.

"Do you know what happened to the others over the weekend? Most of them are injured in some way."

When Demyx raised a curious brow, he realized that he'd been so busy playing that Demyx never noticed their injured friends. Zexion pointed a finger in the direction of a struggling Xigbar across the way.

Demyx's lips formed a surprised 'Oh'.

"Holy shit. What the hell happened?"

"You don't know either?"

Zexion closed his book and shrugged for the both of them, "No idea."

"Not to be mean Marxy, but aren't you normally inside by now?"

Marluxia sighed. He hadn't realized that his morning rendezvous were noticed by anyone. Apparently they were so frequent now it would've been hard not to notice. He would have to be more cautious in the future.

"I have no work to be done," he lied.

"Oh, okay!" Demyx grinned wide. "Wanna hang?" He raked his fingers over his fret board, playing an intricate scale. Zexion was already back into his book, ignoring the both of them.

"Thank you, but I will decline at this time."

Demyx imitated a formal bow and winked cheekily, "So fancy Marxly! Lighten up, will ya?"

"Sure," Demyx started shredding a metal riff and Marluxia left them alone again.

* * *

Roxas didn't look very healthy himself that morning. He was surprised when he'd looked at himself in the mirror. He had scratches and bruises to his face, chest, arms and legs. One of his nipples was purple and he had a dark black eye where he'd suffered a punch to the face. His legs felt like jello and his head still throbbed. He knew he would be a spectacle at school that morning.

But, he was shocked to find that he wasn't the only one being ogled. In fact, there was so much else going on that people hardly noticed him, thankfully.

He could tell that the other mangled faces were all common in that they had taken part in assaulting him over the weekend. And that being the case, he could also guess that the only other person who knew about it was the same one who beat the snot out of each and every one of them.

Something about that fact made him feel an odd warmth spread through his body. He winced and tried to put the whole thing out of his mind. He didn't want to think about it; he didn't want to think about him. He didn't even want to think about Sora.

But as usual, Sora always made himself known when all Roxas wanted to do was crawl into a hole and submit to monkhood.

"Oh my God, Roxas! What happened? Are you alright? Who did this to you?"

 _Is it too late to become a mute? How bad would it hurt to cut out my tongue?_

But then his mind wandered in the direction of the ways he would miss that tongue and he thought better of it. His mind was so muddy that the pieces of thoughts just melded together in a strange conglomerate of angsty teenage emotion. He pushed it all back like Atlas holding the Earth up in shaky arms. He was tired. He didn't want to be that cliche of someone who didn't know who he wanted or choosing between a bad boy and the good friend. He also didn't want to go back to that day in the alleyway. Thinking of Axel would inevitably lead him back there. But thinking about Sora made him feel guilty and dirty.

Sora touched his face and he winced again. He pushed Sora's hand out of the way.

"I'm fine, alright? Don't worry about it. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got a little roughed up."

"Oh no! Roxas!" His eyes shined with tears.

Roxas rolled his eyes. _Always overreacting._

"It's sweet that you care, Sora. Really. But I'll be okay. It's over now, anyway."

Sora gingerly wrapped his arms around Roxas and nuzzled his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Rox."

He smiled and ruffled Sora's hair. "Not your fault."

"So, you got away from them or did they just beat you up and leave you there?"

Roxas blushed. The circumstances were embarrassing at best. Not only was he _sexually_ assaulted, but he was the rescued 'damsel in distress'. He felt like a pansy.

"I had a little help."

"Well, I'm glad you're okay now," Sora pulled away and beamed.

For a moment they locked gazes knowingly. It was a little more awkward now, being around Sora. He was glad to see Riku approaching so he didn't have to be alone with Sora anymore.

"Your boyfriend's coming," Roxas murmured huskily. Sora blanched and elbowed him. Roxas winced, earning him a quick apology.

"Whoa, what the hell happened to you? And what happened to everyone else?" Riku looked around warily.

"Stupid fight," Roxas mumbled.

Before Riku could ask any further questions, Roxas shoved Sora in Riku's direction and walked away.

 _Oops._

The force pushed Sora so hard he grabbed Riku's jacket to steady his balance. As he did, Riku was also thrown off balance and fell forward, tackling Sora to the ground. He had his arms wrapped around Sora to shield him, but now they were lying on the ground like that. When Sora didn't move, Riku panicked.

"Sora? Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Sora chirped. It wasn't really that Sora was hurt, but he lingered there for the sake of being in Riku's arms again. His jacket smelled like Old Spice. He was also really warm, especially for a cold October morning.

Riku pulled himself up on his hands and paused there with Sora pinned between them.

Both of them blushed.

"Hey Rik?"

"Yeah?"

"It's almost Halloween.."

"I know," he smiled.

"We still on for bad movie night?" Sora tugged at his jacket string and _smirked._

They always watched crappy horror movies together on Halloween night. It was Riku's favorite thing in the world. Not only was it his favorite holiday, but he got to spend it with Sora _and_ he got to comfort him for the scary parts when Sora would curl up to Riku's chest and hide his face. On top of all that, candy was involved.

"Definitely," Riku grinned.

Somehow, he got the feeling that this Halloween would be one for the books.

* * *

 **Sounds like Riku will be getting some sweet candy this year! ;)**

 **I had so much fun writing the masquerade that I'm sad it's over now. I will have to find something else to obsess over now. Demyx and Zexion might become a little side dish later. They're pretty cute together, after all.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: Unrelated Note**

 **Rating: M**

 **Pairings: Roxas/Axel, Riku/Sora, Marluxia/Luxord**

 **Disclaimer: I'll bet you anything that with all of the yaoi fanfiction and fanart out there, Nomura has to have seen or heard of it by now. I wish someone would ask him to confirm that, but I'm under the impression that that little SoRiku scene in KH2 and Dream Drop in its entirety were his take on fanservice. Thank you sir, for giving back a lil. Also, I own nothing. That includes all of my movie references such as "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Labyrinth".**

 **Author's notes:** **I haven't a clue if anyone still likes this story, but by golly, I'm going to keep trucking. I'm a little worried about the MarLux thing too, but I'm going to see it through and hope for the best.**

 **Another lemon in this chapter. I suck at lemons, but I did work harder on this one so feel free to check it out. That is posted on LiveJournal and you can read the chapter however you'd like. You can find me by the name khpengooin.**

Sora: I Really Like You by Carly Rae Jepsen

* * *

It was Thursday morning.

Luxord drummed his fingers on the desk impatiently, making the student who stood before him fidget uncomfortably.

"Marluxia.."

"Yes, Luxord?"

Luxord's cheeks pinked slightly at the use of his first name. But, so long as Marluxia only called him by that while they were alone, he'd deemed it okay. He brushed it off and brought himself back to the focus.

"We can't put off this parent-teacher conference any longer. If you cannot bring one of your guardians to school, consequences will be enforced."

"And what are the consequences?"

"Suspension, and a mark on your permanent record."

Although Luxord didn't agree with it at all, a new rule had been enforced in their town. The conferences that used to be optional were now mandatory, and the students had to have at least one legal guardian attend at least one meeting each year with at least one of the student's teachers. It was enforced for the purpose of keeping parents in the loop about their child's progress.

Marluxia started sifting through his long pink tresses for split ends. He refused to look up at Luxord, who was now assuming the role of Mr. Spaid. He normally loved this version of him even more than the illicit lover, because he really showed care with his students. His drive and maturity made him very, _very_ attractive. But now, he was only putting Marluxia in a tough position. He had no idea what kind of life Marluxia had back home, and granted, he didn't know just how much he was asking of his student. Marluxia would rather take the consequences, no matter how dire they might be.

"Fine." He clenched his teeth.

Luxord raised a brow of surprise, "'Fine'? Marluxia, if you skirt around your responsibilities at school, you will not be successful in your future career path. Believe it or not, colleges and job opportunities do check into your school records."

"I don't care!" Marluxia blurted out after a beat of tense silence. He glared at his shoes.

He didn't care anymore. It wasn't like he could be successful in anything with the kind of shadows that lurked behind him. His mother would always, always drag him down. He didn't know what to do, or how to escape. He couldn't save her anymore. And if he couldn't save her, he couldn't save himself, either. The two destinies had been twined together tightly, restricting his wings and the ability to breathe freely.

Now Luxord was getting genuinely concerned. He knew Marluxia to be a cool and rational student. He was intelligent and quiet. Outbursts like this were not in his nature, but they were becoming more frequent as of late. Even visually, he looked unhinged.

"I don't understand why this should pose such a serious conflict to you. I will not reveal the nature of my relationship with you, but if it makes you more comfortable, you may choose to meet with a different teacher."

Marluxia leaned down and kissed Luxord, squeezing his shoulder as he did so. Tears formed at the edges of his eyes and were not unnoticed by Luxord, who attempted to remain composed.

"That's not the problem."

"Then what is?" Luxord murmured.

Marluxia had already crossed the room and was facing the door, a shaky hand over the knob.

"You wouldn't understand."

Marluxia made a motion to leave, when Luxord called out to remind him, "Marluxia, class is about to start.."

"Just mark me absent," he closed the door behind him and Luxord sighed.

 _Something is seriously wrong here._

As the other students started filing in, Luxord couldn't help staring at the door despondently.

Everything inside him told him that starting a relationship (with a student, no less) for purely sexual reasons was a mistake. He didn't even know if what they had could be called a relationship.

* * *

Roxas waited an unusual amount of time for AP math to start. Mr. Spaid looked like he would either start crying or puking. He couldn't tell which, but he was getting paler by the second. After a good ten minutes, the students started talking amongst themselves while their teacher remained motionless at the front of the room.

Roxas cradled his face in his hands. His body was still sore, but not nearly as bad as it had hurt Monday morning. He hadn't spoken or written to Axel much, but in the car Axel would ask him how badly he still hurt each day. He would just shrug and say he felt fine, though his winces and shudders betrayed him. He wasn't so much worried about himself as he was about Axel. Axel had gone pretty quiet since the incident, so Roxas wondered if he'd gone back to hating him now. After all, he'd obviously driven some kind of divide between him and his friends. Axel didn't even sit with them at lunch anymore.

Roxas had his notebook out and started doodling in it when he heard a chair squeal at the front of the room.

Mr. Spaid excused himself and the room went momentarily silent. Then, the chatter returned, but more frantic and hushed now.

The other students were happy for a chance to skip class, but Roxas only felt sorry for whatever the man was going through.

A substitute soon took his place and the class resumed as a study period.

* * *

 _So he just left?_

 _Yeah, got up and walked out without a word. It was weird. He looked really upset._

Axel chewed on his eraser in thought,

 _Marluxia didn't show up today either._

 _You think they're related?_

 _Well, I dunno. Whole school says they're fucking around._

Roxas blushed. He'd gotten tired of the silence and started note passing again but was surprised when Axel wrote back. Perhaps he didn't hate him after all. He tried to ignore the swell of breath caught up somewhere in his chest.

 _Really? I had no clue._

 _Such innocence. Cutie pie ;) You done bruising yet?_

 _Pretty much._

 _Better not be lying now!_

 _I'm not._

 _Good. I like a clean slate when I do work :3_

Same old Axel. Roxas shot him a quick glare, which was almost soft enough to be a pout.

 _You hurt them, didn't you?_

Axel grimaced.

 _A bit._

 _A bit? Axel, Xigbar crinkles when he walks, he sounds like rice crispies._

Axel laughed and a few students shot dirty looks their way. He gave them the finger.

 _He always crinkled. He's like a one-eyed tom cat that won't fuckin' leave._

 _I thought you were friends?_

Axel scoffed.

 _Fuck buddies? Sure. Friends? Meh._

 _Are we friends?_

 _No._

Roxas frowned, but then another note followed.

 _We're brethren! :D JK, JK. I guess you could say that. Wait, does that mean I get to see your bedroom?_

Roxas deadpanned.

 _No._

 _Aw, common. I'll let you call me 'daddy Axe'._

 _God, please no._

 _Can I touch your hair?_

 _No._

 _Squeeze your...cheeks?_

 _Which ones?_

 _Ass._

 _No._

 _Face?_

 _No._

 _Well, shit Roxas. What do you do with friends?_

 _Bake cookies and sing._

 _...Really?_

 _Fuck no._

 _I rescued you from certain death by deflowering. Don't I deserve a kiss or something? Isn't that what Princess Peach would do or some shit?_

 _Do I look like a woman to you?_

 _With that ass and baby face? I'd have to say yeah, a bit. Fortunately for you, I'm beyond gay._

 _Beyond, like on another fucking planet._

 _Well my dear, that planet has room for two homos and tomorrow is Halloween. Will you play ghost and freak up my sheets?_

Roxas felt his cheeks get hot. This would most definitely be a mistake. But Axel was right on one thing. Roxas did owe him _something._

 _No. But, you can visit my room...for a little while, I guess._

He heard a quiet "Yisss" from behind him and rolled his eyes. As the bell rang though, he grinned as they left class together. He hoped Axel wouldn't take it the wrong way. Roxas was not going to be anyone's "fuck buddy", but he was happy at least, that they were officially friends. His heart fluttered just a little faster.

* * *

Marluxia couldn't stop the tears from flowing as he curled up on the floor of the handicap stall in the bathroom. He pulled a tiny box from his backpack shakily and opened it up. He rolled up his sleeve and inhaled deeply. He could end it all here and now. He could even cut open the scar where they'd stitched him up and see what happens.

As he hovered the blade over his skin, he felt so alone and empty. His friends weren't really friends. He had nothing to look forward to each day, so why bother? Still, he hesitated.

 _If I really do this, it has to be vertically up the arm and deep. Once I start, I cannot stop._

He didn't want to do this at school, but he never had the chance to be alone at home. He wanted her to feel pain. He wanted her to feel sorry and realize how much she loved him as a _son._

 _Maybe this would be good for everyone. Maybe something like this would snap her out of it. She could be normal again. I'm the problem. I'm the one making her miserable. She's always telling me she wished she'd never had me._

 _Well mom, wish granted. You're free._

Just as he had resolved himself, the stall door opened. He hadn't even heard anyone come in earlier.

He looked up. Luxord was towering over him. His face was twisted in horror and agony. He'd never seen such an ugly expression on such a beautiful face.

"What are you doing?" He screeched and wrestled the blade from Marluxia's hands.

"Give that back!"

"Are you kidding? Fuck no!"

"This is none of your fucking business!"

"The fuck it's not! Why the fuck would you want to kill yourself?"

"You wouldn't understand!"

"How am I supposed to when you don't even try to tell me?"

"You never ask! Why should you even fucking care?"

"Because I love you!" Luxord roared.

Marluxia gaped in shock, then glared up at him and spoke normally, "How could you? The only thing you know is the inside of my asshole."

"You're wrong."

"Prove it."

Luxord kissed him, only differently than before. He crouched down and brushed his hand up Marluxia's cheek and into his hair. There was no tongue, there was no fondling. His kisses were deep and pleading. He was crying and pulling him closer in a tight embrace. Marluxia's arms dropped limply at his sides and his eyes were empty. He had given up already, but he felt Luxord's words burning their way into him.

"You're the smartest student of my class, yet you hate math. You're determined and stubborn. You like your coffee black, you read poetry for fun (Poe is your favorite), the most sensitive part of your body is your inner thighs, your hair smells delicious, your body is scarred but soft, you don't talk about your family at all, and you cry sometimes when we have sex."

Marluxia stared up at him blankly. Luxord shoved the blade in his own pocket and swung the bag over his shoulder. He scooped Marluxia up in his arms.

"What are you doing," Marluxia croaked.

"Taking you home."

"No, please, you can't! Let me go!" His eyes came to life and raced in his head.

"Not your home. We're going to my apartment," Luxord was careful not to draw attention as he carried Marluxia out to his car.

"But, you have class."

"Not today I don't," Luxord sat him down in the passenger seat and got in the car.

 _Maybe not ever again. Having an actual relationship with a student will most certainly get my ass fired. Not to mention the repercussions of kidnapping someone's child and bringing them to my home. I could go to jail or prison for statutory rape. But, if I could save his life just once it would all be worthwhile._

"There is much to discuss," Luxord peeled out of the parking lot.

* * *

Riku found himself cleaning the house more than usual before Sora's visit on Friday. He lived with his dad and normally if anyone cleaned around the house, it was his father. To him, Riku's cleaning was a nice change of pace. Their 'bachelor pad' looked more like a family home now.

Occasionally, Riku's dad would harp on him to do homework and chores but for the most part they left each other alone. They'd been fairly estranged ever since Riku came out to his dad. He'd never argued against Riku's orientation, but it obviously disappointed him. Still, he'd rather live in a small town with his quiet dad than in the big city with his overbearing mother. And even knowing how Riku was, his dad adored Sora, and encouraged his visits over Riku's other friends.

He'd even tried to give Riku a gay version of "the talk", though they both put a cap on that conversation rather quickly. Not wanting to walk in on a scene like that, his dad never hovered when friends were over. Even if he were sexually active, his dad wouldn't have wanted to know about it.

Which was why Riku's basement was the perfect spot for movie night with Sora. That, and it was dark and equipped with surround sound. Perfect for scary movies. He set the bowl of popcorn down next to the candy when he heard the doorbell ring upstairs.

He thought he'd made a pretty good looking pirate, but Sora blew him out of the water with his Velma costume. He'd picked out an oversized orange turtle neck and red skirt, knee high orange socks, and red Mary Jane shoes. Riku's dad nearly did a spit take as he passed through on his way into the kitchen. But, he waved awkwardly and went on his merry way without another word.

Sora held up his magnifying glass and peered up at him through black spectacles that made his eyes look huge.

"Jinkies, Riku! I think I've found buried treasure!"

"Well, shiver me timbers!" Riku pulled him into a hug before they made their way downstairs.

Even thinking about Sora in a skirt would inspire a boner for Riku. He was glad it was dark, because he could hardly hide the fact that he was raging now.

He had some candles lit so that they could see. Sora's glasses sparkled as he made his way over to the movie shelf.

"What should we start with?"

"Mmmm, you pick," Riku made himself comfortable on the couch as Sora plucked out "The Human Centipede".

"I thought I told you we're watching _bad_ movies," Riku joked.

Sora bent over pretty far to put the disk in and Riku caught a glimpse of red lace panties.

 _Dear God, give me strength._

He giggled, "Rik, you have some fucked up fantasies."

Riku snorted, "You have no idea.."

Without prompting, Sora dove headfirst into the snacks before the movie even began. By the time they were halfway through, he'd had his fill and started to fidget again.

 _He did that at the theater, too..._

The scientist in the movie started performing surgery to make the 'human centipede' and it was getting more and more graphic. They'd watched it many times before, but Sora always had the same reactions.

"Gross!" Sora buried his face in Riku's chest, hiding his eyes.

Riku adjusted slightly so his boner remained hidden. Not once since Sora arrived had it let up. It was starting to make him uncomfortable. He winced and rubbed Sora's back to soothe him.

"Sora, I have to go to the bathroom," he started to get up and Sora caught him by the arm.

"Riku, wait."

 _But I reeeaally have to get rid of this thing,_ he thought impatiently.

"Yeah?"

"I kissed Roxas!"

Riku blinked, "Uh, Okay.."

"But I don't like him. I did it because I wanted to know if I..."

Riku raised an interested brow and watched his face turn 50 shades of red.

"If I. like. guys," he trailed off.

"O-oh yeah?"

"Yeah, and it turns out I kinda do?"

"That's cool, I guess," Riku peered back at the bathroom door. Most of what Sora was saying only made it _harder._ Pun fully intended. He needed release soon, or Sora would definitely find out when his feelings spilled over into his pants. He tried to keep his mind occupied in other things.

 _Why are you saying these things? Are you trying to hurt me? Every time we're together you do something flirty then remind me that we're just friends. I get it already! Stop screwing around with my feelings for you._

"Is there a point here, because I really gotta go-"

"I like you Riku! I mean, I really _really_ like you! I like you so much, I know you don't feel that way bout me but I-I think I'm in love with you!" Sora shook uncontrollably and tears ran hot down his face.

Riku no longer gave a single fuck about going to the bathroom.

Within two seconds, Sora found himself pressed into the couch with a hungry Riku latched onto his face and neck. It all happened so fast, but it felt _right._ Sora craned his neck and moaned. He didn't even know how Riku hurdled over the couch arm and pinned him down so quickly, but he didn't care. Riku bit his lips and squeezed one of his thighs. Sora pulled away to kiss down Riku's jaw towards his collarbone.

Sora was perfectly outfitted for the occasion. His legs looked so cute the way they shifted with those socks and Mary Janes. They were just begging to be hoisted over Riku's shoulders. Riku slid his hands up his sweater. He lifted it up and kissed his nipples.

Sora blushed and turned his face away, crooning his sweet moans as he hid his ruddy face.

Riku raptured his mouth again in a longer, more innocent kiss.

"I love you, Sora. I love you so much... So fucking much," his voice cracked.

He kissed him again and again while Sora giggled.

"I love you, Riks. You make a _very_ sexy pirate."

" _I'm_ sexy? You really think I was running off to take a pee with you in a skirt like that?"

"Why? What were you doing?" Sora asked coyly.

"Fantasizing."

"About what?"

"Touching it."

He laughed, "Touching it? Seriously? That's it?"

Riku lifted his skirt slowly and fingered around the waistband of his panties.

"Well...maybe..."

Sora squirmed and bucked his hips, arching his back.

He yanked at Riku's costume, "I wanna see."

"See what?"

"All of you..."

Riku froze and surveyed him carefully, "Sora..."

"I know, it's really fast. I mean, you probably just think that this is a free lay but to me it means so much. I'm not all that much to look at either. But, I want it to be you."

"Sora-"

"Please," Sora tugged at his belt buckle. "You'll feel better," he referred to the erection that had been plaguing Riku since the night began.

"Okay, first of all, you're gorgeous and I don't even deserve to _look_ at someone so beautiful, much less put my dick anywhere near you. Second, if I had wanted a free lay I would've gone to Larxene or Marluxia. I know you're not that kind of person."

"But-"

"I love you. I'm yours. I waited for you. I will continue to wait for you if that's what you wanted."

Sora beamed so brightly, the sun would be jealous.

"You 'waited'?"

"Ever since we met.."

"Then why didn't you tell me?"

Riku grimaced, "Didn't want to lose you, I guess."

"Lose me? Riku, you could never lose me. We'll always be friends."

 _There it is again. Friends._

"But, if we do this-"

"I'll be in love with my best friend, just as I've always been. Riku, why do you think I turned all of those people down? I didn't want to be with anyone else. I know all there is to know about you...except.."

Sora kissed him and their tongues danced.

 _This._

Riku removed his fake spectacles and looked directly in his eyes. They were their usual sincere blue, but sparked with seduction instead of the pure innocence he was used to. He'd only dreamed of such a thing, but in person it was something different entirely.

 **A lemon lives here- Go to my LJ account to read it.**

They crashed their lips together, panting. Sora grabbed at him with needy hands. Riku could easily have another go, but he could see that Sora was too exhausted and sore to continue. He cleaned them up and pulled Sora against his chest. Riku wrapped his arms around him.

Sora pinched at them, "Your arms are so strong...I...really..." he trailed off as he fell asleep in Riku's arms.

"Hmm, best holiday ever," Riku hummed happily.

He kissed Sora's head and buried his face in his fruity hair, "I love you so much."

Sora purred an unintelligible response in his sleep and nuzzled Riku's chest.

Upstairs, Riku's father could not for the life of him hold his coffee cup steady. He gave up, set it down on the counter with shaky hands and pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh, "Teenagers..."

* * *

Halloween was one holiday that Roxas actually enjoyed. Christmas was his favorite, but he loved watching movies that were darker in theme and seeing the fall colors and decorations adorning the houses. He also loved being able to wear hoodies, jackets, and flannel again.

He hadn't meant to match, but both boys had chosen to wear flannel that Friday. Axel chose red with a pair of ripped up jeans, and Roxas went with purple. Roxas had buttoned his up and rolled up the sleeves, while Axel left his open with a black band shirt peeking through.

Axel had called them "twinsies," to which Roxas had groaned and rolled his eyes.

He spent all day dreading having Axel in his bedroom. Though he hoped he'd just forget about it and go out somewhere for the night, his writing was even more perverted and annoying than usual. It was literally all he wrote and talked about before they went home, at which he followed Roxas around like a pup as they loaded their plates and sat down to dinner.

Kellie took notice and grinned widely, "It's so nice to see you boys getting on well."

Axel started snickering and Roxas elbowed him hard in the side.

"Axel, you haven't been home so much since you were a little boy."

He shifted uncomfortably next to Roxas, "Yeah, I guess.."

Roxas shot a concerned look his way, but Axel avoided it entirely.

Cole squeezed Kellie's hand and smiled between the two of them. Roxas envied how in love they looked. However, when he peered over at Axel in his peripheral, he was scowling and clenching his fists until they were white.

Kellie went on, oblivious to his behavior, "What do you boys have planned for this fine Hallow's Eve?"

Roxas shrugged, "We were just going to watch some movies and stay home."

"How..dull," Cole chuckled. "At least we won't have to worry about you tonight."

"Well, have fun! We'll be down here handing out candy if you want to come down," Kellie smiled as she gathered the dirty plates.

"Yeah, whatever," Axel followed Roxas up the stairs. It gave him a nice view of Roxas's ass.

Roxas opened the door and motioned for Axel to enter. Axel looked around earnestly. He hadn't seen the room since they'd moved in, but it seemed much smaller with all of Roxas's things unpacked.

Everything had its own particular place. The dirty clothes lived in the hamper, the computer desk and end table were kept clean and tidy, the bed was made, and a chilly breeze ruffled the grey curtains through the open window. A box of vinyl records sat at the foot of the bed, the record player on top of the dresser. A few angsty metal band posters adorned the walls. Chelsea Grin, Parkway Drive, A Skylit Drive...

"I take it you were a Hawthorne Heights fan," Axel laughed.

Roxas wrinkled his nose, "No..."

 _Okay, maybe a little bit. But I was dumb back then._

Axel smirked and shook his head, "We need to teach you what real music sounds like, kid."

Roxas gritted his teeth, "My music is fine. And don't call me that."

He completely ignored him and continued to scrutinize the room's contents. There wasn't much to it really. Hair gel, deodorant, Axe cologne, thin belts, a small shelf of movies...

Roxas sat down on the bed and fanned his hands out, "Well, this is my room. You can leave now."

"Oh no no, I'm here now," Axel grinned and put his hands on his hips. "You're stuck with me now."

"Not part of the deal, sorry."

"What the hell do you do in here all day, anyway? You don't even own a Playstation!"

 _Annnd, he's ignoring me again._

Roxas sighed, "I listen to music or watch a movie...or sleep."

"Hmm," Axel licked his lips. The weather had made them dry as bone.

"May I use this?" He picked up Roxas's chapstick from the dresser. Roxas shrugged and Axel rubbed the stick over his lips.

"Much better, thanks. Now then, which movie will we watch?" He leaned over to leaf through the movie shelf.

" _I_ don't know yet. But _you_ will be leaving now.."

"Oh, cool! I haven't seen this thing in ages!" Axel waved "Labyrinth" around in his hand.

"No!" Roxas's eyes bulged and he snapped a little too quickly. He nearly fell off the bed as he waved his hands around frantically. His cheeks started to turn an interesting shade of red while the rest of his face paled.

Axel blinked, "What? This is a great movie...And I thought you liked Bowie?"

"I do! I-uhm. It's just not a Halloween kind of movie.." He lied.

Axel shrugged, "I beg to differ, but okay.."

Roxas breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Like hell he would watch that dream sequence play out again with the subject of his own sitting in the same room. He felt beyond embarrassed.

He watched Axel tilt his head thoughtfully, a small cross earring tinkled with his movement. Eventually he plucked out the movie "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and before Roxas could think of an excuse to avoid watching something sexual with Axel, he'd slid the thing into his Blu-Ray player.

"I didn't say we would watch a movie together.."

"Au contraire Roxas, you told my mom that we would! And that's exactly what I plan to do!"

Axel sat down on the bed, rolled back behind Roxas and stretched his long legs across the bed. He crossed his arms behind his head, grinning like an idiot.

"At least take your shoes off," Roxas growled.

"Fine, fine," Axel kicked off his boots and they hit the floor with a heavy thud. "We'll work on the rest of our clothes later," he brushed a hand over Roxas's thigh before Roxas shoved it off.

"The Rocky Horror Picture Show" started and the bespectacled Brad Majors was now singing to his sweetheart, Janet Weiss.

"Axel. Movie. Watch," Roxas pointed at the TV and Axel resigned with an exaggerated sigh.

For a while Roxas enjoyed a comfortable silence while they watched one of his favorite movies. It was almost as if Axel wasn't there, for a while. It didn't last too long.

They had just finished dancing "The Time Warp" when Axel attempted conversation again.

"You never told me how it went with Sora.." He now had his body bent around where Roxas sat and rested his head on a pillow near Roxas's lap. He looked up at him, smiling interestedly. But it didn't quite meet his eyes.

Roxas, who hadn't been able to feel comfortable enough to lie down since they started the movie, was still sitting rigid and upright while he stared at the screen. He only barely looked over at Axel before turning his eyes back to the screen.

He tried in vain not to blush, "Went ok, I guess."

"How was he? He's cute; I imagine he's pretty good," Axel stared intently at Roxas, who glowed in the light of the TV. It had gotten dark outside and now the only light came from the action on his television.

"Can you not talk about sex like that? It's not a game, and it's none of your goddamn business," Roxas winced in mingled disgust and anguish. It seemed to him that no one valued sex the way they should have. It was also a day he'd rather leave forgotten.

"Ah, right. Sorry."

 _I forget how sensitive virgins are sometimes._

A long silence resumed between them. Axel had almost forgotten the conversation when Roxas's face softened and he looked down at his lap, "We didn't."

"Reeeaally? Sorry to hear that...Maybe next time," Axel's lips turned up in a slight smirk.

"No, it's fine. He belongs with Riku. I just said that we were going to cause..I was mad.."

Axel hummed thoughtfully, "Well, they do make a good pair."

Roxas looked over again and Axel's attention was back on the movie. Rocky and Janet were having sex to the song "Creature of the Night." He hadn't realized so much time had lapsed in the movie while he'd been lost in thought.

"Why _were_ you mad at me?" Axel interrupted suddenly.

Roxas shrugged.

"Did it have something to do with Tidus?"

Roxas shrugged again, trying to dodge the question.

The way Axel was staring made him uncomfortable. The silence became unbearable, "I Dunno."

"Roxas..."

"What?" His heart hammered around his chest trying to beat itself senseless. Axel sat up some.

"Don't tell me you actually _like_ me?" He brushed a finger under Roxas's chin to hold his attention. Roxas averted his eyes. His own lashes fluttered and he felt his face getting hotter.

"Of course not!" Roxas squirmed away and Axel lifted an interested brow in the dark.

"Good."

"Good?"

"Yes, good. That would be a serious problem," Axel's face was so dead serious Roxas couldn't help but feel captivated.

"W-why's that?"

"We're supposed to be step brothers. And in case you haven't noticed, I don't do serious relationships."

Roxas paused before he ventured to question, "Why?"

He shrugged, "Just don't. Too messy. Never ends well with me."

Roxas nodded slowly but the look of disappointment on his face was hard to miss or hide. He didn't know why, but his gut wrenched uncomfortably and all he wanted to do was get away, but at the same time he still wanted Axel's company. It was very contradicting and confusing.

Axel wrestled with his own conflict of interest. He knew better than to draw a freshman up into a serious relationship again, but damn the draw he had towards Roxas. He felt bad for trying to ease such a frigid person out of his thick wall only to push him away.

"Then Tidus?"

"Is a good fuck. That's all."

And he meant that. It may have looked like he had feelings for Tidus, and he could see why. Out of all his lays, he slept with Tidus the most. But, Tidus was just really good and never made it into anything serious. That's the main reason he didn't go around with Xigbar as much. Xigbar had obviously gotten way too attached to the point of obsession. In fact, Roxas was the only one who knew so much about his personal life and that was only because they'd been forced to live together.

"Right," Roxas pretended to be interested in the movie again. It would be ending soon and they were both getting tired.

"You look uncomfortable," Axel dragged him down by the shoulders, making Roxas gasp.

"Lay down with me."

Roxas eventually settled and relaxed his muscles. A few minutes into credits Axel realized he had only relaxed because he'd fallen asleep. He could hear some muffled snores escaping his throat.

"How cute," he grinned.

 _Always so serious. I wonder what you'd be like if you let loose and had fun for once._

He slid a hand under the front of Roxas's shirt and touched his abdomen.

 _He really is the softest thing I've ever touched._

Roxas shifted and Axel found himself blushing. Roxas was so thin and feminine in body. Curled up in fetal position Axel remembered just how fragile he'd been. It reminded him of when he'd caught a glimpse of him changing before.

The movie had finished and the TV shut itself off, leaving them in complete darkness. Not being able to see anything, Axel was overcurious and tempted to take advantage.

He rubbed Roxas's hip gently, until he heard Roxas gasp himself back into consciousness. He heard the breath hitch, then a shaky voice emerging from the dark, "A-Axel?"

"This isn't happening."

"Huh?"

Roxas felt a pair of lips caress his exposed ear and neck. He could hear the sound of an earring tinkling behind him. Roxas turned around instinctively and could just barely make out the form of the person laying in front of him.

"Say it."

Roxas physically mouthed the words to himself before actually saying them out loud, as if testing how they felt in his mouth.

"This isn't..happening?"

He felt himself being dragged by the hips towards a warm, slender body. His eyes closed as a familiar hand touched his cheeks and unbuttoned his shirt to spread them over his chest. He shivered. They were cold hands.

He felt frozen, not from shock as he had been with Xigbar. He just felt overwhelmed somehow. It felt similar to the way he'd felt in his strange dream. In fact, he wasn't quite sure this wasn't a dream too.

Then, he felt a pair of lips take his own. They were thinner, but fluttered over him like butterflies. It was gentle, yet a tongue found its way into his mouth and without realizing it, Roxas had started to make soft, tender noises. He loved the way it felt. Every movement was soft and unsure, as though he were afraid Roxas would stop him at any moment. But, as soon as Roxas started to get into it, he'd stopped.

Roxas was alone again, confused and wanting in the dark. Shapeless emotions formed at his lips and tightened all around him like a straight jacket.

"Axe?" He whispered.

No response.

After waiting for a minute, Roxas flipped back over and eventually fell back into sleep.

* * *

 **Well, that escalated quickly didn't it? There was a small detail I stole from the movie "All I Want". Great movie. I don't own rights to it, either.**

 **I've never actually seen "The Human Centipede". I'll put it on my watch list but I imagine it's pretty graphic. Hopefully I captured the essence of the movie without having seen it.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: Unrelated Note**

 **Rating: M**

 **Pairings: Roxas/Axel, Riku/Sora, Marluxia/Luxord**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

Roxas: Rescue Me by Hawthorne Heights

* * *

Luxord placed his keys on the coffee table and took off his shoes while Marluxia explored the apartment.

The apartment was a little small, but very clean and precise. Nothing personal adorned any of the walls, but he had many bookshelves meticulously organized by theme and alphabetized by title. He had every type of book imaginable. There were how-to books, diet books, classical literature, modern literature, medical books, etc.

The kitchen was absolutely spotless. There were no dishes left in the sink, the fridge was well organized (though nearly-bare), spices in a wall rack had also been alphabetized. As usual with small apartments, the dining room and living room were one in the same. Only a small table with a couple of chairs made the distinction within the room. The TV sat on a cappuccino brown entertainment center with a shiny finish. The coffee table was made entirely of clear glass, and the sofa was merely a grey suede loveseat.

The only real personable things were Luxord's shoes and his jacket by the door, a stack of papers to be graded on the coffee table, and a glass chess table by the window of the living area. His bedroom was much the same, with a full sized bed covered in a soft, black faux fur comforter. There was nothing else remarkable about the room aside from a very organized closet and books on the nightstand.

The bathroom...well. It was a spotless bathroom in white porcelain. Marluxia could've easily predicted that just by looking at the rest of the dwelling.

When Marluxia came back to the living room, Luxord was sitting patiently on the loveseat with his legs crossed. Marluxia sat down next to him.

They were silent for what seemed like an eternity.

"Nice apartment."

Luxord cracked a smile. Then, both of them started to laugh.

"It's not very big, but it's all that I require."

He uncrossed his legs and rubbed his temples. Marluxia noted Luxord's loss of composure with this gesture. He quickly reigned it back in and added in a more serious tone, "Now that we're alone, I need to know what happened back there."

Marluxia sighed, "You don't need to know."

"I think I do," Luxord took one of Marluxia's hands in his own.

"Just start from the beginning. You don't have to look at me, and I will not speak. I will only listen. Don't stop talking until it's over." His cold blue eyes cut through Marluxia.

Marluxia took this advice and avoided his gaze. It was unnerving how Luxord talked exactly like a shrink would, but it oddly made sense to Marluxia. Though it was cliché, he did feel a little calmer.

So, he reluctantly told Luxord everything about his life at home with Tifa, and how Ardyn left him alone with her. By the time he was finished, his eyes had swollen with tears.

Luxord's knuckles were pressed white, but his face remained blank and calm.

After a minute, Marluxia wondered if he'd react at all. Luxord, who was merely waiting to be sure he had finished, pulled Marluxia into his lap and wrapped his arms around him. He said nothing, and let him soak his shoulder in tears. He rubbed circles in his back and his own brow furrowed as he buried his face against Marluxia's shoulder.

"It's alright. You're safe here."

* * *

 _Axe?_

Axel's grip tightened around the steering wheel and he took another drag from his cigarette. Every morning since Halloween, he turned his music up even louder than usual just to drown out the sounds in his head. They were torturous, and seemed to get louder with each passing day.

"Calling All Cars" by Senses Fail pounded in sync with his increasing heartbeat until the entire vehicle buzzed under his hands.

It had only been a week, and on the outside everything seemed to progress the same as it had been before. That night was never brought up by either Axel or Roxas. Roxas, who had assumed it was a strange dream; and Axel, who preferred to pretend nothing had occurred.

 _What the fuck is wrong with you! You could have killed me!_

He smirked to himself and blew a gust of smoke towards the window.

Axel brushed his thumb over the wheel, and for a moment it was downy flesh that yielded easily at his touch. He closed his eyes and took a long drag.

But, his carelessness once again sent his tires rumbling over the curb in front of the school.

He opened his eyes slowly and like a flashback Roxas was standing in front of Abe, momentarily disoriented. Their eyes met, but this time Roxas merely smiled cheekily and kept walking with a blush bleeding through the surface of his cheeks.

It was cold out, so it was hard to tell if it was really the weather that made them pink. Nevertheless, it was cute.

 _Unbearably so._

Axel slammed the car door shut behind him, making his bucket of a car shutter and pang. He sauntered his way to the school yard.

The usual chaotic din of students catching up with each other after an evening apart assaulted his ears as he got closer.

Axel licked his lips when he spotted the blonde chatting animatedly with Sora and one of the gothy looking chicks. Xio? Something like that. He couldn't remember, but she was a small, cute girl with inky black hair cut short that fell over one of her bright blue eyes in true emo fashion. He'd had a short go-around with her, but she quickly moved on to Xigbar, who she'd found more dangerous (and therefore, more sexually exciting) than Axel. Xigbar, being the way he was, didn't have a very long fling with her either.

Her lip ring, scars, tattoos, and dark clothes made her an ill fit for the Roxas/Sora/Riku dynamic. He wondered what she was after that made her laugh and smile so brightly with them. Her black dress stood out starkly in a circle of tired blue jeans and band tees. Roxas had been edgy, sure. But he wasn't the rough type and didn't have a bunch of piercings or tattoos like she did.

Perhaps that's what made him remarkably attractive to outcasts like Axel. And now, apparently, this girl.

He growled.

The way she was looking at him and standing with a hand on her hip just didn't sit right with him. Not to mention, her breasts were peeking out of the top of her corset dress and she kept leaning forward so they'd be front and center.

 _Stop._

 _Don't look at her tits._

 _Look at me._

 _Look at me dammit._

Roxas's eyes were glazed a bit and he yawned. He hadn't noticed the obvious advances, though Axel did catch Riku eyeing her up hungrily. Sora nudged him a little to pull his attention back to the conversation.

Roxas felt himself being stared at and glanced around casually for a possible source. His eyes fluttered nervously.

"Whoa, shit man. I thought that bitch had dropped out. I haven't seen her in forever," Xigbar appeared next to him and examined Axel's frustrations.

"Yeah.."

Axel winced.

"You better bag your blonde before she checks out with your goods."

"Fuck off man," Axel turned on his heel and walked away. To his dismay Xigbar was still following him.

"You owe me an explanation!"

"I don't owe you shit, Xigbar."

Xigbar caught up to him and grabbed his shoulder, roughly wheeling Axel around to face him.

"What part of 'fuck off' do you not understand?" Axel yelled and pushed his arm away.

Xigbar threw his arms up in surrender, "Chill, Axel. Whether you like it or not, I know you well enough to know when you're fucked up."

He sighed and started walking again. He didn't want to talk to Xigbar anymore. Not only was he a bad influence, but Axel didn't want to be talking about Roxas to anyone now, let alone Xigbar.

Still, he was being followed. Before he knew it, they were alone inside the school hallway.

"What do you want, Xig?" He sighed.

Axel finally looked back at him and for the first time in their friendship, Xigbar looked genuinely concerned about him.

"I want my friend back. What's going on with this kid, Axe?"

"Nothing!" He spat.

"You haven't fucked with him and you obviously want to. What gives?"

"I don't want to _'fuck'_ with him and he's just a kid brother thing. I carry him around because that's what mom's been forcing me to do."

Xigbar shook his head and narrowed his eyes.

"You do remember the last time you got serious with a freshman, right? Is it cause he looks like _him_ or something? You know he's not going to replace Ven-"

Axel slammed his fist into the locker next to Xigbar's head so hard, it groaned and gave way beneath him. He slowly pulled his hand away from the crater of a dent.

"Don't."

Axel looked up at him with a dark fire in his eyes.

"Ever mention his name again."

Xigbar knitted his brow, "Fine, but remember what I said."

"My personal life and affairs are none of your fucking business."

"Well, they used to be and I'm just looking out for you. Don't hurt the kid. Let him go. And let go of the past, too. That kid is _gone_. Fucking deal with it."

"I _am_ ," Axel gritted his teeth to keep his eyes from welling up.

Xigbar left Axel with a profound sense of emptiness in his gut. He left school before it began without a word to anyone of where he went. But, as Xigbar watched his car peel out of the lot, he knew where Axel was going.

* * *

Axel's sudden disappearance wasn't lost on Roxas, who felt frustrated and admittedly abandoned. He wasn't sure at this point if he had a ride home and the clouds outside the shop classroom that evening looked none too friendly.

He sighed with his chin in his palm. He didn't feel like taking notes or paying the room any attention, but no one seemed to notice or mind.

Earlier that day, a girl named Xion started hanging out with them out of the blue. Though, he couldn't fathom why. She was a beautiful girl, but had absolutely nothing in common with the three of them. Most of their conversations consisted of Sora chatting away about nonsense anyway, and none of the things Sora went on about would catch the interest of a licentious girl like her.

It felt like bad timing, too. Sora and Riku had been acting...strange. All day Sora looked extremely embarrassed and uncomfortable, while Riku would attempt to soothe him with an arm around his waist or by grabbing his hand. What was even stranger was how these gestures that made Sora calm and happy before now made him even more uneasy.

As usual when Roxas asked, Sora'd said he was fine so he didn't press the matter further.

But Xion even showed up at their table during lunch. She didn't seem to notice the thick tension between the two. She'd tried to make small talk with Roxas, who'd been preoccupied with windows but hummed a polite response now and again. He'd felt like they'd been bad company to keep, but granted, it was weird for her to be there in the first place.

By the time shop class rolled around, Roxas was beside himself with boredom. For once, the teacher was just talking and offering notes instead of setting them out on a project as he normally would.

Roxas had no one to partner up with for a project or write stupid little notes to.

He'd expected the topic of Halloween to come up somehow, but he still couldn't figure out what actually happened even if it _did_ happen.

Which it didn't.

Because Roxas had morals. And Roxas was straight. And Sora was only an experiment.

 _And he's my step-brother for Christ sakes._

He squeezed his eyes shut tight. The air was clean and fresh, it was slightly chilly, and Roxas was calm and collected for once.

But,

he missed the musty smell of smoke, the fiery warmth, the rumbling of laugher and snickers, and the way his chest tightened from his own nervousness and tension when Axel was around.

 _Good God, it hasn't even been a full fucking day. Pull yourself together. It's not like I'll never see the bastard again._

He exhaled slowly.

It had just felt too real to be a dream. Everything fit the bill for realism. He heard the earring, smelt the smoke, felt the same thin, long fingers. He even remembered the crisp feel of the flannel over shirt as he was being pressed against Axel's chest. He had groped around in the dark and at some point felt the ornate metal of the chakram necklace Axel often wore.

 _And there was a tongue ring._

Roxas blushed furiously. That had been a new development he'd never noticed before.

It wasn't like the other dream he'd had of the masquerade. He had forgotten most of the details of that dream and was left with just the emotion and a general idea of what happened.

Despite what was said in the dark that night, Roxas was coming to a realization of his own about Halloween.

 _It happened._

* * *

Shop class dragged on at a sluggish pace as it never had before.

But, when the bell rang Roxas felt as though his feet were still cemented to the ground.

 _It's as though they want to wait here because they know that this should be a happy place._

He groaned, _What a pathetic and cliché thought. This whole thing is bullshit. It's stupid._

But even being outside of school with the option of taking the bus like he used to, Roxas waited around in the hopes that Abe might show up. That hope became empty as the school yard cleared out. As if on cue, the sky decided to open up and drop rain in thickening sheets. Roxas and the school bench got completely soaked within minutes.

It was all a blur. Hours passed and the sparse leftovers of students leaving their after-school clubs darted by him trying to seek cover from the rain. It was only the crack of thunder that snapped Roxas back into his senses.

He instinctively sprang to his feet and sprinted back towards the building, eyes wild.

 _Shelter. I have to hide and find someplace safe._

He never noticed Sora and Riku emerge from the bathroom looking disheveled and flushed in the otherwise empty hallway.

Sora's head snapped around when he caught a glimpse of blonde blaze through the quiet hall with rapid, panicked footfall.

"What?"

As if to answer his question, a loud clash of thunder roared overhead.

"Storm," Riku remarked quietly.

"We should go, Sora."

"No!" Sora ripped himself from Riku's hand and started running.

"What?"

"Go on ahead, I'll catch up! I gotta find Rox!"

As though he were a fireman in a burning building, Sora took off after the fleeting figure. Roxas was fast when he was scared. Sora had to run now if he wanted to even catch an idea of his hiding spot. If he didn't find Roxas, Sora knew he might be stuck here for hours. The janitors could lock him up in here without even knowing, and Roxas would be scared and alone and worry his family.

 _And they probably already are, judging by the sizable storm brewing._

Riku nodded, though it was already lost on Sora. He had disappeared within seconds, leaving Riku alone. He decided to heed his boyfriend's advice. Sora had mentioned the whole storm thing in passing before. He was worried for them, but assumed Sora knew what he was doing here.

He had a hard time getting out to his car, but eventually found himself in the lot and dug around in his soggy jeans for a set of keys.

 _Now to find the car..._

He scanned the lot until he spotted a silver Chevy Camaro hiding under the haze of rain and wind.

Just as he started for it, a Lincoln pulled up to him and rolled its window down.

Riku squinted. Axel smiled up at him halfheartedly.

"Heeey, Riku."

He rolled his eyes. Axel was so annoyingly bubbly. And it wasn't cute in the way that Sora's was. It was always mocking and smug. Today was slightly different though. He was good with hiding things, but Riku could tell that the normal cheekiness didn't quite reach his eyes.

"What do you want?" Riku tried to wipe rain from his face in vain. It was getting hard to see and his wet hair was flopping into his eyes. He wanted to reach his car.

"Did Roxas leave?"

"No," He grimaced.

 _Just great. Roped into some sappy love story in the rain. I'm tired. I'm wet. Sora isn't leaving with me and I want to go home._

"He's inside. Could you take Sora home, too? I was supposed to be his ride."

"I'll bet you were," Axel smirked.

After a tense pause Axel pressed further, "Why are they still in there? Everyone else is gone... Why didn't you take 'em?"

Riku growled anxiously. He was getting impatient and grumpy.

"It's storming."

Axel quirked a brow, "So?"

"What? You didn't know? Roxas is scared of thunder."

"Wait, wait... _what_?"

The pieces started clicking together with Axel rapidly.

"He's terrified of storms. Freezes up, can't move. Hides somewhere until it's over. Sora's in there looking for him."

It was then that realization crashed over Axel in waves and pulled him under.

 _Roxas jumped at the remark that broke their silent walk. He looked around wildly and responded with a higher pitch and even more hostility than usual, "What?"_

 _"What the hell is wrong with you?" Axel turned his head and looked more closely this time._

 _"Are you-Are you shaking?"_

 _"No!" Roxas's voice cracked._

 _He looked up at the sky and Axel wondered what he was looking at. He turned his head up as well._

 _"Think it'll rain?"_

 _"Looks like it. Why?"_

 _Roxas swallowed and regained composure, "I don't like getting wet."_

 _Roxas looked up at the sky, debating whether he could walk home instead._

 _"Dark clouds," he murmured to himself and got in the passenger seat._

 _When they reached the house, Roxas shot a fleeting look at the sky before rushing inside and up the stairs._

The look that swept over Axel's face told Riku that this was new information. It was one of those expressions he'd seen on TV just before some idiot decided to be hero and rescue a damsel. It was the same look Leonardo DiCaprio wore when he instructed Kate Winslet how to breathe just before they were sucked under water with a fake sinking ship.

It was almost admirable.

"Good God, you're slow. You live with Roxas and you're telling me you never knew about this?"

Axel shook his head.

" I'm going home. Just don't forget about Sora, please. I'll fucking murder you if you go in there after Roxas and come out without Sora."

"Yeah, I got you."

Riku frowned to himself and got in his car after Axel peeled away.

He knew Axel was an idiot, but he also knew they'd be in good hands with him. Not as good as his own, but Riku wasn't about to waste the rest of his evening looking for the best hider he knew. He'd tried that before and regretted it. Sora was much better with finding Roxas's hiding spots and even he had trouble with it.

Riku took one last look at Axel as he pulled up to the school's front lot. He threw open the car door not bothering to shut it back, and ran up the stairs like his life depended on it. Riku was surprised he remembered to shut the car off before ejecting himself to the sidewalk. He regretted not staying for Sora. But strangely, he felt the overwhelming sense that his place just wasn't here right now.

He sighed.

"Good luck, asswipe."

* * *

 **Those of you who reviewed, favorited, and followed myself or this story: Thank you! Thank you so so much! MoonPrincessDiana, virohayakawa, burningblaze13, Monolaymoo, ArianiLee1, Ern Estine 13624, and many others. Thanks for your input and time.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: Unrelated Note**

 **Rating: M**

 **Pairings: Roxas/Axel, Riku/Sora, Marluxia/Luxord**

 **Disclaimer: These beautiful babies don't belong to me. And I can't adopt them. I merely kidnapped em'.**

Axel/Ventus: To Live And To Lose by Silverstein

 **There are some sexy bits in this chapter. Please see my livejournal (khpengooin) for full content.**

* * *

 _Axel scraped his palms over the sides of his jeans, but they were still sticky from all of the sweat._

 _'It's now or never', he thought._

 _He waited beside the open locker until Ventus shut it with a gentle click of metal. That's when he realized Axel was standing there with his hands in his pockets._

 _The sun streamed in through the window and settled in the golden tufts of Ven's gelled hair. It pointed skyward in awkward little shoots. He wore a sleeveless black shirt and jeans, and his usual checkerboard bracelet. To Axel's dismay, he pulled an army jacket over his thin, exposed arms._

 _Then, he looked at Axel apprehensively._

 _"Axe...Sup?"_

 _Axel smiled awkwardly and shifted his feet. Back then, his wardrobe had been much simpler. He had no piercings or tattoos to speak of, and he always went with a simple tee shirt and worn jeans. Often, he did like to wear a thin yellow bandana around his neck._

 _"I uh...need to talk to ya about somethin'..."_

 _Ventus raised a curious brow, "Oh, yeah?"_

 _The crowd started rolling through between classes and Axel gulped down air. Better than vomit, at least._

 _His throat felt incredibly dry._

 _"Yep. Can we talk somewhere more private?"_

 _Ventus smiled warmly, "Yeah, sure."_

 _Ventus guided them to the nearby door and sat down on the steps outside the school. The weather had been nice that day. Ven regretted putting his jacket back on, but left it on anyway._

 _Axel took a seat beside him and refused to look at him._

 _"Hey, what's wrong grown up?"_

 _Axel chuckled, "Nothin, kiddo."_

 _Although Axel was a sophomore and taller, and Ventus was the younger freshman, Ventus was much braver and more outgoing than Axel. They joked about their age difference often. That's one of the things Axel loved about him._

 _"I just...see, here's the thing..."_

 _Ventus tilted his head to get a better look at Axel's face._

 _"I like you...like, a lot."_

 _Ventus grinned, "Well, I like you too."_

 _"No...no... I mean, I_ _ **like**_ _you...Like, I'm in love with you? Maybe?"_

 _The grin never left Ventus's face. It got slightly mischievous, and sexy._

 _"I know."_

 _"You...you knew?"_

 _"Yeah, of course."_

 _"Then, why didn't you say anything?"_

 _Ventus laughed, "I kinda like watching you squirm. Just a little."_

 _"Oh...Then...Will you... I dunno...go out with me?" Axel played with his own fingers._

 _"No."_

 _"No?"_

 _"Yeah Axel. No."_

 _"Oh..."_

 _"That's for preschoolers and kids. We'll be lovers."_

 _Axel looked up at him._

 _"I love you Axel. And I want to make love to your perfect body."_

 _Axel blushed, "Uhm.."_

 _"You'll do it, right? You'll give me your virginity, and you'll be all mine?"_

 _Axel nodded slowly._

 _"Good," Ventus pulled Axel's face down to his own and kissed him._

 _His kisses were like fire and ice. Fierce and hungry, but gentle. It filled Axel to the brim with curiosity and lust. He was ready to spend forever with him, following him everywhere._

 _And that's exactly what he did. Everywhere Ventus went, Axel was sure to follow with Ven's tiny hand wrapped in his own._

 _They spent many nights climbing through windows to explore each other, and even more nights fighting over the smallest things. Eventually, in the winter, they had sex. As promised._

 _It was snowing that day and school was out, so Ventus climbed in through his window and they got intimate immediately. Axel loved the feel of snow covered Ven pressing against him._

 **-Nekkid adventures removed. See livejournal for full content.-**

 _As much as Axel wanted his first to be, admittedly, it wasn't as romantic as he'd hoped it would be. Ventus was overeager to make it rough, but his body just wouldn't have it. It had been too soon for that. Axel tried to be gentle, but when he reached for Ven's face he found his arm pinned back down on the bed. Ven looked down at him and hungrily nipped at his neck._

- **Nekkid adventures end-**

 _"Axel.."_

 _"Yeah?" He crossed his arms behind his head as Ventus got up off of the bed._

 _"I love you."_

 _Axel smiled, "Yeah. I love you too, Ven."_

 _"...I gotta go now."_

 _"What?" Axel sat up and grabbed him by the shoulder._

 _Ventus ignored him and jumped a little as he wiggled his tiny waist back into his tinier jeans._

 _"I have to go back home."_

 _Axel's brow furrowed, "But, you can stay the night. Mom's not going to care. It's freezing out there."_

 _"I didn't tell my mom I was staying. She'd worry and stuff... It's not that far, Axe."_

 _"Yeah, but it's hard to see out there. Just, stay with me? She'll understand in the morning." Axel squeezed his shoulder and looked at him, pleading. He had hoped he could at least cuddle Ven a little, despite Ven not being much into that sort of thing._

 _Ventus grimaced, "I can't...Sorry."_

 _And like a jilted lover, Axel watched in vain as Ven slipped back out the bedroom window without so much as a kiss goodbye._

It was the last time he ever saw him.

He should have begged him not to leave. He could have tired him out with more sex or asked him to call his mom to ask if he could stay. He knew that she would have let him stay.

 _But Axel let him go._

 _He thought that he was mad at Axel, because he texted all night and got no response. Not even a text to let him know Ven had made it home._

 _And that was because he never did make it home._

 _The next day at school Axel found out that Ventus was walking on the side of the road when a car hit him. It didn't see him with the snow storm as bad as it was, and it came on so fast Ventus didn't have time to move out of the way._

 _Not knowing anything more, Axel borrowed Xigbar's car and rushed to the hospital only to find that he wasn't even there._

 _Dead on impact, they had said._

 _Axel called every day for the longest time, until finally he got the automated message saying the line had been disconnected. He imagined Ven's parents got tired of hearing their dead son's phone ringing. But, he could still hear that voice in his head. He clung to it desperately hoping he wouldn't forget it._

 _"Hey, it's Ventus. I can't come to the phone right now but-Shhhh, Axel shut up! I can't come to the phone right now because Axel's being a fucking dick! ...Leave a fuckin' message at the beep."_

 _He could hear himself laughing in the background._

But, eventually he did forget that message. Though he never forgot Ventus.

Ventus would never do backflips off the bridge at the swimming hole again, he would never ask Axel to smoke with him behind the school, he would never yell at Axel for pussying out of doing something reckless with him, he would never grin at him or wrap his arms around him from behind. He would never laugh or smile.

Ever again.

And it was Axel's fault.

* * *

The lights flipped off as Axel ran through the hallway. He passed Ven's locker and kept running.

 _Janitor probably turned them off. They don't know we're in here._

He hoped he'd see one of them and let them know, but as far as he could see the school was empty. He ran down the stairs, stumbling a bit in the dark. He kept going down until he hit the bottom floor.

"Axel?" Sora looked over his shoulder when he saw Axel running down the hall towards him.

"Hey," he leaned over and grabbed his knees to catch his breath.

Sora looked baffled to see him standing there, but only momentarily. There seemed to be a silent understanding between the two. He waited for Axel to stand up straight.

"He likes going as low to the ground as possible. Like, away from the sky; if that makes sense. And, look in small spaces. They make him feel safer. Don't worry about the classrooms. They've already locked those up," Sora put a finger to his own chin in thought.

"And that's it, I think. I'm going to go look for the janitors to let them know we're here. Gimme a shout if you find him. It'll be hard to get him out."

Axel nodded silently.

Sora smiled knowingly, "Okay."

Sora ran off, leaving Axel standing alone in the hallway. He turned a different corner and walked down another hallway. He was already on the bottom floor of the school, so he let his feet take him wherever. He had no clear direction.

He ended up in the library, which was a wide open area with a spiral staircase in the middle going up to the computer lab on the second floor.

Libraries were normally quiet, but at night it was downright spooky. He turned on the flashlight app of his phone to take a look around. With such an open space, he thought it unlikely to find Roxas here.

He turned to leave.

And that's when he heard it.

It was a cry that sounded like the small whine of a dog. It was very brief and faint, but it was enough to let Axel know that he wasn't alone.

"Roxas?"

He walked around the area slowly, eyeing up any possible cubby holes with his light. He didn't hear it again, but he kept searching anyway.

There was a small closet in the corner of the room where they kept faulty computers and supplies for the lab. Normally he'd assume it to be locked, but with the library itself surprisingly unlocked, he turned the knob and opened the door.

"Hmm."

It was a small closet, but also deep with many shelves. Axel got down on his knees and crawled in, shining his light at the floor under the bottom shelf.

And there he was.

Roxas had taken refuge there in the closet between a couple of the older, big-backed computers from the early 90s. He was curled up on the ground in a tight fetal position, shaking uncontrollably and murmuring to himself. He didn't seem to notice Axel or the bright light.

For just a moment, Axel imagined it was Ventus, curled up and dead on the side of the road. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes.

The storm could still be heard outside, but just barely. Axel crawled in further and pulled one of the large contraptions out of his way.

"No!" Roxas screeched and backed into the wall.

"Roxas..."

"I'm not leaving! GET- OUT!"

"GET OUT GET OUT GET THE FUCK OUT!"

Roxas's eyes were red and puffy and his whole body quaked, betraying his harsh words completely. He reeled in his own fear while glaring at Axel with wild eyes.

"I'm not going to make you leave," Axel cooed.

Roxas didn't soften a bit, but he bit his lip until it bled. He was a caged animal, not sure what to make of a familiar person in a scary situation.

"Come here," Axel reached out and pulled him up to his chest.

He wrapped his long legs around Roxas's waist and squeezed his hands over his ears. They laid down together on the floor.

Roxas didn't fight him as he did with Sora or Riku. He let Axel wrap himself around him and shut his eyes.

Without realizing it, the shaking stopped in all but his hands. But then Axel grabbed them and put them over his ears, keeping his hands on top. They stopped shaking, too.

They stayed like that for a while, but Roxas felt something wet on his back shoulder blade. Axel must have been crying.

"I hated you," Roxas croaked.

"Yeah.."

"I still kind of do..."

"I know," Axel murmured.

Roxas fell asleep to the sound of wind blowing through their cupped hands. The thunder ebbed away, but the rain still beat on the windows.

Axel could hear the same soft snoring he heard when Roxas fell asleep on Halloween. He slowly brought their hands down from his ears and detangled his body from Roxas.

When he was sure Roxas was still asleep, he took him up in his arms and cautiously backed out of the closet. Something about emerging from the closet with Roxas in his arms made him choke out a small chuckle, but he had to reign it in so his laughter wouldn't wake him.

Axel didn't have to walk very far before Sora was running towards them from the far end of the hall.

"Is he alright?", Sora whispered.

Axel nodded, "Yeah...he's fine."

Sora exhaled, "Thank God. Hey, how'd you get him out like that?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Roxas never wants to come out when I find him. Even after it stops raining, I literally have to drag his ass out every time," Sora raised a suspicious brow and crossed his arms.

"What gives?"

Axel shifted the load in his arms and smirked, "It's a secret."

Sora rolled his eyes, "Jeez, you Casanova types are all the same."

A pleasant smile lit up his face again and he turned on his heel, "Well, let's get out of here. I'm sure your parents are worried about him."

As Sora led the charge back out of school, Axel debated arguing the conjunction of his mom and Roxas's dad in such a way. But, Sora had made a correct statement. Their parents were a unit now, and had been for months.

So, why did it feel so...wrong? He wrinkled his nose. It felt gross and weird to hear Sora word it that way.

And not in the same sense he had about it before, back when he couldn't stand the both of them.

Cole really wasn't a complete dick when you got to know him.

And Roxas...

He peered down at the thin body dangling helplessly in his arms.

 _Your face must be God's way of punishing me. You look exactly the same, but you're not alike at all._

He must have stopped walking in his distracted state, because Sora had come back for them and was staring almost angrily. It was a strange expression for such a kind face, but immediately put Axel on his guard.

"Why are you so protective of him, anyway?" Sora had his arms crossed again and something in the back of Axel's mind remembered something he had heard somewhere about it being a defensive stance of some kind.

Basically, it meant that Sora probably didn't like him much.

He shrugged and grinned sheepishly, "Dunno, really. Guess he's like a kid brother or somethin'"

"I don't believe that.."

Damn Sora for being a perceptive little shit. He was smarter than most gave him credit for when he wanted to be.

His sheepish grin turned wolf and he hugged Roxas just a little closer.

"And what about you? You had him on the side while you were toying around with Riku."

Sora blushed and started to mouth a response, but he watched his mouth fumble around before he could find any words.

"I wasn't...doing that...we're just friends."

"You're a tease, Sora."

 _You can fool everyone else, but you can't fool me. I've seen those hip sways on thousands of girls before and they're all the same. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Not this time._

Sora dropped the subject in surrender. They were back at the car now, and he opened the back door for Axel to put Roxas inside. Surprisingly the rain, which had lightened considerably, still hadn't woke Roxas. He slumbered on obliviously.

"Let me help you..."

"No, I've got him," Axel cut in coldly.

He softened a little as he tossed the keys to Sora.

"Just...start her up.."

Sora nodded and hopped in the passenger seat. Axel gently laid Roxas down on the seat. He mumbled to himself a little and curled in on himself as Axel let him go.

The ride home was mostly quiet. Axel left the music off so not to wake Roxas or annoy Sora, and Sora looked out the window most of the way. It reminded him of Roxas a bit the way he pouted and watched the sky.

He decided to comment, "Well I know you're not afraid of storms. What's going on inside that head of yours?"

Apparently Sora caught on to his reference. Roxas must have looked at the sky more often than he realized.

He sighed, "Can I ask you something personal?"

"Sure thing."

Sora bit his lip, "What do you do if someone you're dating wants sex more often than you do?"

Axel laughed so hard he had to swerve out of the way of an oncoming car. He could faintly hear a mumbly complaint from the back seat.

"Kid, you are sooo asking the wrong guy about this. You _do_ know my reputation, right?"

He turned beet red, "Well, yeah...But...Well, let me put it this way: How would you react if someone you cared about told you they didn't want to do it as often as you did?"

Axel's grin widened. His amuse only grew, but he answered seriously, "Normally I'd tell them to fuck off..."

"But, I guess I wouldn't mind so much if it was someone I really liked..."

Sora looked over at him and Axel didn't realize it, but he'd been blushing as he said this.

They pulled up in front of Sora's house.

"I guess... you're not as bad as I thought.." Sora drawled.

"Huh?"

"I'm sorry I misjudged you Axel...I was wrong... Have a good evening!" Sora grinned and this time it was more genuine. He started climbing out of the car.

"Hey! Don't forget to text Riku. He'll fucking kill me if he thinks I left you in a ditch somewhere."

"I'll tell him you abandoned me to have car sex with Roxas."

"Oh, fuck you," Axel flipped him off playfully and Sora laughed.

As Sora waved goodbye and Axel pulled away, Axel could understand why Sora was so important to Roxas. But, he still hated him for that; just a little bit.

* * *

"Here," Luxord dropped a neatly folded stack of clothing into Marluxia's lap.

Marluxia curiously picked up the top piece of fabric and it fell open into a long-sleeved night shirt.

"Really?" He wrinkled his nose.

Luxord looked up at him over half-moon spectacles. He had already taken a seat and had started to read when Marluxia interrupted him.

"What?"

Marluxia dropped the fabric quickly as though it were a nasty snotrag.

"You sleep fully clothed like this?"

Luxord raised a brow, "Yeah…why?"

Marluxia shook his head, "I only ever see old people wear matching pajama sets like this."

The soft, collared fabric was pale blue and reminded him of a hospital scrub.

"I'm not wearing this...thing.."

"Well, it's that or nothing at all..." Luxord smirked amusedly over his book.

"Oh, the humanity! Whatever will I do, Lux?" Marluxia grinned and crossed the room to sit in Luxord's lap. He snatched the book from his hand and shut it with a sharp snap.

"At least let me save my place next time, hm?" Luxord sighed.

"Who needs books when you have a live-in boyfriend, _hnm?_ By the time I'm done with you, you'll forget what that book was even about.." Marluxia whispered in his ear before biting its lobe.

Within the span of ten seconds, the book laid on the floor forgotten and the two had shut themselves in the bedroom for the night.

The events of the day still lingered in the back of Luxord's mind, but he put it to rest until morning. For now, he was satisfied to have Marluxia safe in his arms.

* * *

 **Thank you for sticking around for so long! I'm still here reading your responses *love love love*.**


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